Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s Near Drone Incident En Route to Norway

On a recent trip to Norway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aircraft was “almost hit” by a drone while preparing to depart from Moldova, as reported by Reuters. This occurrence preceded the king’s state funeral in Norway.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre informed public broadcaster NRK about the incident after Zelenskyy’s plane safely reached Oslo. Støre expressed that Zelenskyy’s aircraft faced this reality, though the proximity of the drone to the plane was not specified.

The Moldovan government later revealed that two Russian drones were implicated in the incident. This led to a temporary closure of Moldovan airspace, delaying Zelenskyy’s flight until officials confirmed at least one drone landed in Moldova.

Reports indicated one drone landed in a field north of Chișinău, causing a fire, while the other entered Romanian airspace. These drone incursions resulted in a temporary suspension of Chișinău International Airport operations. Incoming flights circled or diverted to other nearby countries.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu condemned the incidents, labeling them as significant threats to public safety. She also criticized a Russian drone strike at the Ukrainian border, which led to two fatalities.

Upon arrival in Oslo, Zelenskyy engaged in discussions with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Their talks covered military aid and air defense as well as humanitarian support, according to Deutsche Welle.

Additionally, the Institute for the Study of War noted that a Russian Shahed drone flew through both Moldovan and Romanian airspace for about an hour before crashing back in Moldova.