Zelenskyy's plane narrowly avoids drone during takeoff from Moldova, Norway PM says

Incident during takeoff from Moldova

A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy narrowly avoided being struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle as it took off from Moldova on Tuesday evening, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The incident occurred while Zelenskyy was departing Chisinau on his way to Norway to attend the state funeral of King Harald V. Støre disclosed the encounter during an interview on Wednesday with Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, describing the operational risks facing the Ukrainian leader during wartime travel.

His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing.

Airspace threat and flight delay

Norwegian officials stated that the flight was delayed by security risks, though neither Støre nor his office specified the exact distance between the drone and the presidential aircraft. State Secretary Bhanuja Rasiah from the prime minister's office confirmed that a drone threat in Moldovan airspace delayed Zelenskyy's departure toward Oslo. Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who attended meetings with Zelenskyy, noted that the Ukrainian president spoke of difficulties departing Chisinau due to active risks in the area. Neither the Ukrainian presidential office nor the Ukrainian embassy in Oslo provided immediate comment to Norwegian broadcasters regarding the incident.

Assessments by the Institute for the Study of War indicated that a Russian Shahed drone operated in Moldovan and Romanian airspace for roughly one hour on Tuesday before falling to the ground in Moldovan territory, following flights tracked by the defence ministries of both nations. Official sources have not confirmed whether this specific Shahed drone was the craft that disrupted Zelenskyy's flight.

Security meetings and royal funeral in Oslo

Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo late Tuesday evening and conducted bilateral discussions with Norwegian leadership before the funeral events. The talks with Støre, Stoltenberg, and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide focused on Ukrainian air defence requirements and Norwegian military assistance. Zelenskyy also planned discussions with industrial contractors involved in the Freyja initiative, a project designed to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy joined foreign leaders in central Oslo, walking behind the coffin of King Harald V, who died on 28 August. In a post on X, Zelenskyy recalled his past meeting with the monarch and thanked him for his attention to Ukraine. Following the conclusion of the funeral services, Zelenskyy departed Norway for Canada.

Diplomatic exchanges and overnight strikes

During their morning meeting on Wednesday, Zelenskyy informed Støre that he had spent much of the preceding night receiving phone updates on missile strikes hitting Ukrainian targets. The visit coincided with broader statements from Kyiv and Moscow regarding potential multilateral peace negotiations. In interviews with international media, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is moving toward a trilateral negotiation format with Washington and is prepared to find compromises. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that political will exists to resume trilateral discussions soon, while presidential aide Yuri Ushakov suggested returning to Abu Dhabi as a venue. These comments followed earlier telephone contacts between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, with discussions remaining open regarding a possible November meeting at the APEC summit in China alongside Chinese leader Xi Jinping.