- Deadly shooting at Chisinau Airport: Two killed, suspect arrested
- Denial of entry led to tragic airport shooting in Moldova
- Pro-European Union government on high alert following the incident
According to the Moldovan Ministry of the Interior, a man opened fire at Chisinau International Airport, resulting in the deaths of two persons.
The shooter was wounded and arrested, police said.
Officials stated that the murder occurred after a foreigner was denied entry into the country.
President Maia Sandu said a border guard and airport security official died, while a third was injured.
According to Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, the suspect is a Tajikistani national aged 43.
On Moldovan television, government press secretary Daniel Voda stated the Turkish visitor was denied entry.
Mr. Voda explained that while being transported to a restricted area of the airport, the man stole a pistol from a border patrol agent and fatally shot two people.
Also video showed passengers evacuating the airport on the grass.
Flights into and out of the country’s main airport, Chisinau, have been halted.
The pro-European Union government of Moldova has been on high alert for months after President Sandu accused Russia of plotting to use foreign “saboteurs” to overthrow it.
After 12 Serbian football fans were denied admission at Chisinau airport in February, she warned. A party of Montenegrin boxers was also detained at the airport and sent home.
The Kremlin denied allegations of a conspiracy, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Kyiv had intercepted.
Last summer, Moldova became an EU candidate nation with a population of 2,6 million individuals.
It has been heavily affected by the conflict in neighboring Ukraine and confronts tensions with its pro-Moscow breakaway region of Transnistria, where approximately 1,500 Russian troops are stationed.
Friday, President Sandu also issued a statement expressing condolences to the families of the deceased and describing the day as “a sad day for all of us.
She stated that state security forces across the nation were on maximum alert.
Mr. Voda continued, “All measures have been taken to restore normalcy.” “Law enforcement will continue to maintain airport security and public order.”
