MOSCOW: Russia on Tuesday expelled a Moldovan diplomat following a similar measure by Chisinau in October after a drone it claimed was Russian crashed in the east European nation flanking Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry said that it was “on the basis of the principle of reciprocity... declaring a member of the Moldovan embassy in Russia undesirable.” Moldovan ambassador Lilian Darii was summoned and informed of the decision, it said. At the end of October, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said a “Russian attack drone” had violated the country’s airspace and “crashed near homes and an energy facility.” She then declared a staff member of the Russian embassy persona non grata. On Tuesday, the foreign ministry again rejected the accusation, saying there was no proof the drone was Russian, terming it an “unfriendly act” aimed at dismantling centuries-old relations. Moldova, a small nation nestled between Ukraine and Romania, has previously expelled several Russian diplomats. Drones have also repeatedly entered its territory since 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia once maintained strong ties with Moldova, a former Soviet republic, until a pro-Western government took power in 2020. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since the start of the war in Ukraine, compounded by the push by Moldova to join the European Union. Drones have penetrated Moldovan territory on multiple occasions since Russia launched its full-scale offensive against Ukraine in early 2022.