A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was nearly struck by a drone on Tuesday while departing Moldova for Oslo, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store confirmed. The close call occurred as Zelenskyy traveled to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, highlighting ongoing airspace disruptions across Eastern Europe.
The Near-Miss Incident During Departure From Moldova
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faced a perilous departure this week when his flight was almost hit by a drone as it prepared to leave Moldovan airspace. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store disclosed the incident on Wednesday during an interview with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, pointing to the constant dangers surrounding the Ukrainian leader’s international travel schedule.
His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing,
Store told the outlet, though he did not specify the exact proximity of the drone to the aircraft.
The disruption unfolded on Tuesday as Zelenskyy attempted to fly from Chisinau International Airport to Oslo for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, who passed away on August 28 at the age of 89. Airspace authorities in Moldova temporarily suspended arrivals and departures after multiple unmanned aerial vehicles breached regional skies, forcing incoming commercial flights into holding patterns or diverting them to neighboring countries.
Contrasting Accounts and Regional Airspace Violations
While Western leaders and regional officials highlighted the gravity of the airspace breach, officials within the Ukrainian presidency offered a more tempered assessment of the immediate danger to the head of state.
A source within the Ukrainian presidency told journalists that the event was an alert in Moldova triggered when a Russian drone crossed into Moldovan and Romanian airspace, dismissing characterizations that placed Zelenskyy in direct personal peril as exaggerated.
Moldovan government spokespeople confirmed that two Russian drones were involved in the airspace incursions. One drone crashed into a field north of the capital, sparking a fire, while the second continued into Romanian airspace. The Institute for the Study of War noted that a Russian Shahed drone spent approximately an hour traversing Moldovan and Romanian territory before coming down.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu condemned the intrusions, calling them a serious threat to people’s lives following a separate strike on a border crossing that claimed two lives.
Diplomatic Agenda and Military Aid Talks in Oslo
Despite the delay on the tarmac in Chisinau, Zelenskyy’s aircraft arrived safely in Oslo on Tuesday evening.
Upon arrival, the Ukrainian leader held strategic meetings with Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Their discussions centered on expanding Norwegian military aid, bolstering air defense capabilities, and coordinating civilian assistance programs.
Zelenskyy also engaged with representatives from defense firms participating in the Freyja initiative, designed to build a European anti-ballistic system. Writing on social media, Zelenskyy emphasized that protecting European skies remains a shared responsibility requiring close industrial cooperation.
State Funeral Attendance and Subsequent Travel to Canada
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy joined an international delegation of dignitaries in central Oslo to march in the funeral procession behind the coffin of King Harald V. He was joined by Britain’s Prince William, Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, and political leaders from more than twenty nations.
Following the funeral, Zelenskyy departed Norway for Canada to conduct further meetings with leaders in Ottawa, maintaining an intensive international diplomatic schedule amid the ongoing conflict.
