Russian Drone Enters Moldova as Zelensky Flies to Norway

The plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky narrowly avoided a Russian drone attack while flying from Moldova to Oslo.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirmed the incident, according to NRK.

The incident happened as Zelensky was traveling to Norway’s capital to attend the funeral ceremony for King Harald V.

The Norwegian Prime Minister’s Office noted that the drone’s presence in Moldovan airspace forced a delay in the president’s departure.

However, it remains unclear how close the drone was to the presidential aircraft.

According to Moldova’s Ministry of Defense, the country’s airspace was violated at the exact time when Zelensky’s plane was preparing for takeoff.

Due to the aerial threat, the civilian airport from which the Ukrainian President was departing temporarily suspended operations, while the border service closed nearby border crossing points.

Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that Zelensky personally shared details of the incident during a closed-door meeting in the Norwegian capital.

The appearance of enemy drones in the region coincided with another massive Russian attack on Ukraine’s border regions and civilian infrastructure.

A Russian jet-powered Geran-type strike drone, crossing Romanian and Moldovan airspace around 5:00 p.m. on September 8, may have posed a threat to the presidential aircraft.

Overnight on September 9, Russian strike drones attacked the Starokozache international road border crossing in Ukraine’s Odesa region.

The border crossing is located on Ukraine’s border with Moldova.