Romania Expels Russian Consul and Shuts Consulate in Constanta

The Romanian president announced that Bucharest has declared the Russian Consul General in Constanta persona non grata and confirmed the decision to close the Russian consulate in the coastal city.

This move follows Romania's claim that a Russian drone crashed on Romanian territory, although the Romanian authorities have not provided detailed information about the incident.

In response, Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told TASS that "the Russian response to Romania’s declaration of the Consul General as persona non grata and the closure of the consulate in Constanta will not be delayed," hinting that Moscow will take similar reciprocal measures based on the principle of reciprocity in diplomatic law.

Earlier on the same day, Romanian Foreign Minister Ana Touyou announced that Bucharest’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lipov following the incident in the city of Galati, where a drone fell on a residential building.

Constanta, a Romanian city on the Black Sea coast, holds strategic importance and hosts the Russian consulate, which was responsible for matters concerning the Russian community and coordinating economic and cultural relations in the region.