Ukrainian President Zelensky's Plane Nearly Struck by Drone in Moldova

A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Norway for the king’s state funeral was nearly hit by a drone as it prepared to take off from Moldova on Tuesday, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Støre reported the incident to public broadcaster NRK on Wednesday, stating that Zelensky’s aircraft arrived safely in Oslo Tuesday evening. He noted, "His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing," but did not specify how close the drone came to the aircraft. A Moldovan government spokesperson later indicated that two Russian drones were involved in the incident, which delayed Zelensky’s departure as authorities closed the country’s airspace. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff after officials determined that one Russian drone had landed on Moldovan territory. One drone landed in a field north of the capital, causing a fire, while the other drone continued into Romanian airspace. The incursions led to Chișinău International Airport temporarily suspending arrivals and departures, resulting in incoming flights being placed in holding patterns or diverted to neighboring countries. Moldovan President Maia Sandu condemned the incursions as a "serious threat to people’s lives" and also denounced a Russian drone strike on a border crossing with Ukraine that resulted in two fatalities. Upon arriving in Oslo, Zelensky discussed military aid, including air defense support and civilian assistance, with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Additionally, the Institute for the Study of War reported that a Russian Shahed drone flew through Moldovan and Romanian airspace for about an hour on Tuesday before crashing in Moldova.