Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plane was reportedly delayed before departing Moldova for Norway after a Russian drone entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace, prompting an aerial security alert.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre raised the alarm after speaking with Zelensky shortly before attending the funeral of King Harald. Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Støre said the Ukrainian president had told him that his aircraft had been threatened by a drone while preparing to leave Moldova.
“This is the reality that the Ukrainian president has to deal with,” Støre said.
Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg was also present during the conversation with Zelensky. He confirmed that the flight had been delayed and that there had been threats involving the aircraft, although he said he did not have enough information to provide further details.
Stoltenberg also described Zelensky’s appearance alongside European leaders at the funeral as striking given the security threats facing the Ukrainian president.
“I have been with him at NATO summits in Washington and elsewhere, and the security has always been extremely tight,” Stoltenberg said. “It was not even a question of him going outside, and yet he did so here.”
Zelensky has lived under heavy security since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, after surviving several reported assassination attempts. Despite the security risks, he regularly travels abroad for diplomatic meetings and official visits.
Kyiv downplays the incident
A source within the Ukrainian presidency sought to play down the seriousness of the incident in comments to AFP, saying the alert occurred after a Russian drone crossed into Moldovan and Romanian airspace.
“It was an alert in Moldova when a Russian drone entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace,” the source said, describing claims that Zelensky’s life had been directly endangered as exaggerated.
Moldova’s Defense Ministry also reported that a Russian-made Shahed drone had entered Moldovan airspace before continuing into Romania, supporting the basic account of the incident.
The drone intrusion led to the closure of Moldovan airspace and the deployment of NATO fighter jets, according to the reports.
It remains unclear exactly what happened to Zelensky’s aircraft. One possibility is that the flight was deliberately delayed while authorities assessed the situation in the air and waited for the threat to pass.
Rising tensions around Ukraine
The incident comes amid growing concern over airspace security in countries bordering Ukraine.
Moldova on Wednesday condemned Russian attacks on Ukraine near the Tudora-Starokozache border crossing. The strikes reportedly killed two people and injured others, including Ukrainian border guards.
The latest incident adds to a growing series of security alerts and cross-border airspace violations in the region as the war continues to raise tensions well beyond Ukraine’s borders.
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