Romania Denies Russian Military Base Inspections in 2023, Calls Reports 'Fake News'

Romania's Ministry of National Defense has firmly denied reports circulating in public spaces suggesting that Russian Federation representatives inspected Romanian military bases or units in 2023, amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine. The ministry clarified that such activities have not taken place since 2021.

The ministry issued a strong statement rejecting the information as "fake news," emphasizing that these claims misrepresent international military verification mechanisms. Officials expressed regret that such inaccurate information is being spread by individuals who, due to their previous positions, should understand the applicable legal framework and procedures. The ministry stressed that experience does not substitute truth and notoriety does not validate inaccurate statements.

According to the Ministry of National Defense (MApN), the last verification activity conducted by the Russian Federation on Romanian territory under the Vienna Document 2011 framework occurred in 2021. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, no further verification activities have been carried out by Russia in Romania under this agreement.

The MApN took the opportunity to explain the international military verification system within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This system, built on transparency and control, includes three main instruments: the Treaty on Open Skies (TOC), the Vienna Document 2011 on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (VD 2011), and the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). These agreements specifically regulate certain categories of forces, military units, and equipment, and do not permit general inspections of any military objective.

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Ultima activitate de verificare sub egida VD 2011 efectuată pe teritoriul României de către Federația Rusă a avut loc în anul 2021. După invadarea Ucrainei pe 24 februarie 2022, Federația Rusă nu a mai efectuat activități de verificare sub egida VD 2011 pe teritoriul României.