Employee of Russian embassy in Chisinau declared persona non grata leaves Moldova

CHISINAU. March 26 (Interfax) - An employee of the Russian embassy in Chisinau who was declared persona non grata has left Moldova, the embassy said.

"The diplomat declared persona non grata has left Moldova," the embassy press service said.

Moldova declared a Russian embassy employee persona non grata last week in protest against the opening of polling stations in Transdniestria for the Russian presidential election. Russian Ambassador to Moldova Oleg Vasnetsov was formally notified about this on March 19.

Russia opened six polling stations in the Transdniestrian region on Sunday for voting in the Russian presidential election, including three in Tiraspol and one each in Bender, Grigoriopol, and Ribnita, where over 46,000 Russian citizens cast their ballots.

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry did not allow polling stations to be opened on the eastern bank of the Dniester, as Moldova had no control over that territory and could not guarantee security at polling stations.

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry capped the staff of the Russian embassy in Chisinau at ten diplomats and 15 technicians in August 2023. At the time, 22 diplomats and 23 technicians whose positions were abolished left Chisinau.