Norwegian Prime Minister Gahr Store stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's aircraft was nearly struck by a drone during takeoff in Moldova while en route to Oslo. This incident occurred as Mr. Zelensky was traveling to attend the funeral of the late Norwegian King Harald. Mr. Store reported on state channel NRK that Zelensky described his night as difficult due to receiving updates on missile strikes in Ukraine, stating, "It's a very dramatic situation. It makes a strong impression."
Zelensky arrived at the Plaza Hotel in Oslo around 9 PM on Tuesday, where he met with Prime Minister Store and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. During their discussions, Zelensky emphasized the need for Ukraine to enhance its anti-ballistic capabilities, expressing a desire to hold meetings in Norway and Canada to develop a stronger defense system.
On Wednesday, Zelensky called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia, criticizing the lack of a robust response to the ongoing bombardment of civilian areas in Ukraine. He stated, "Unfortunately, there has been too little response from the international community to these strikes, which are taking people’s lives practically every day. But a response is needed - Moscow must not go into the winter believing that it can get away with missile and drone terror without consequences."
In response to Russian strikes, Zelensky noted that Ukraine has been conducting long-range attacks on infrastructure within Russia. On Wednesday, Ukrainian drones targeted an industrial facility in the remote city of Novy Urengoy in North-west Siberia, according to local authorities. The attack was reportedly repelled with no casualties, but debris from the drone caused a fire, as stated by Yamalo-Nenets region Governor Dmitry Artyukhov on Telegram.