Moldova briefly closes its airspace after accusing Russia of plotting a coup

Moldova closed its airspace today for undisclosed security reasons, a day after its president, Maia Sandu, accused Russia of plotting to carry out a coup and overthrow her government.

Ads

According to a Reuters report, the authority responsible for regulating civil aviation in the eastern European country said a notice was issued to pilots at 11:24 local time informing them of the airspace closure «to ensure the safety of civilian aircraft flights.»

«At the moment the airspace of the Republic of Moldova is closed and we are waiting for the resumption of flights», has said Air Moldova, the country’s national carrier based in Chisinau, the capital city.

The airspace reopened at 14.47, the agency said in a brief statement. Further details about the circumstances behind the decision are not yet known.

Moldova shares a border with Ukraine and since the Russian invasion of that country began in February 2022, it has already twice complained about Russian missiles violating its airspace. Last Friday it complained about the alleged intrusion of a missile aimed at Ukrainian territory. Russia denied the allegations.

Ads

Since the invasion, Moldova, a former Soviet republic, has been trying to move closer to its European partners. Indeed, in June it was granted candidate status for European Union membership. However, throughout this time it has faced problems related to dwindling energy supplies from Russia, high inflation and missile-related incidents in its skies.

See also: Air Moldova to fly between Chisinau and Barcelona