Russia Declares Romanian Embassy Employee Persona Non Grata Over Drone Incident

Russia announced Thursday that it was declaring an employee of the Romanian embassy in Moscow persona non grata in retaliation for Bucharest expelling a Russian diplomat last month. "Romania's Charge d'Affaires ... was handed a note from the ministry declaring an employee of the Romanian Embassy in Moscow persona non grata," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. "This measure is a response to the Romanian side's earlier, unjustified decision to declare a member of staff at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest persona non grata," it added. Romania ordered the Russian diplomat's expulsion following a series of airspace violations involving drones. In May, Bucharest accused Moscow of launching a drone that crashed into an apartment building in the city of Galati, injuring two people. Russia rejected the allegations. While dozens of drone incursions have been detected over Romanian territory since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the incident in Galati was the first time a residential building was hit.