Moscow Vows Response as Romania Expels Two Russian Officials

Romania has expelled two Russian diplomats over their alleged links to a pro-Kremlin presidential candidate, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 5.

According to Euro News, Russian military attaché Viktor Makovsky and his deputy, Yevgeny Ignatyev, were declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave Romania for violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations .

Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Țărnea described the move as an “exceptional measure” taken in response to “serious violations.” He did not disclose specific reasons for the expulsion, saying such matters are typically communicated directly to the relevant authorities.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision as “unfounded and unfriendly,” vowing to respond accordingly.

According to media reports, the expulsions were linked to Makovsky and Ignatyev’s ties to far-right populist Călin Georgescu, who won the first round of Romania’s presidential elections in December 2024. The Constitutional Court later annulled the results, citing intelligence reports of Russian interference in the campaign.

Georgescu, who has publicly praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Romania’s wartime fascist leaders, gained traction through a TikTok-driven campaign. Before the election, 25,000 previously inactive social media accounts began posting in his favor, and at least one account spent $381,000 on promotional ads. Romanian intelligence services later concluded that Russian operatives were behind the effort.

Authorities have since opened a criminal case against Georgescu on charges including attempting to undermine the constitutional order, spreading false information, and inciting xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Georgescu has dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.

Romania has significantly reduced Russia’s diplomatic presence since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, cutting the number of accredited Russian personnel in the country by two-thirds.

Moscow has implemented reciprocal measures against Romanian diplomats. In 2021, Romania also expelled Alexei Grishaev, a senior adviser at the Russian embassy.

Earlier, Romania’s Defense Ministry reported finding fragments of a Russian-made drone with an active warhead near the Moldova border on March 1.