Zelenskyy's Plane Narrowly Escapes Russian Drone Over Moldova: 'That Is the Reality He Lives In'

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's journey from Moldova to Norway was delayed by a Russian drone incursion, before Norway's prime minister delivered a startling account of just how close the danger may have come to the Ukrainian president's aircraft.

Jonas Gahr Støre told Norwegian broadcaster NRK on 9 September that Zelenskyy's plane was 'almost hit by a drone' as it was preparing to take off from Moldova.

'That is the reality he is facing,' Støre said, although he did not reveal his source or explain how close the drone came to the aircraft.

The remark immediately raised the stakes around an incident that had already disrupted Moldova's airspace and delayed Zelenskyy's flight to Oslo.

A Drone Alert Delays Zelenskyy's Flight

The incident occurred on 8 September as Zelenskyy was travelling to Norway for the funeral of King Harald V.

Moldovan authorities temporarily closed the country's airspace after detecting Russian drones. A government spokesperson said Zelenskyy's aircraft was cleared for take-off once authorities established that a drone had come down on Moldovan territory.

The disruption was not limited to the Ukrainian president. Three departing flights and four arriving flights were delayed while the airspace closure was in effect.

A Russian drone later crashed in Moldova's Rîșcani district, triggering four fires but causing no injuries. Moldovan explosives experts found fragments with characteristics similar to Geran-type drones, which are widely used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Russian Drones Reach NATO Airspace

The incident became even more significant when a Russian Shahed-type drone crossed from Moldovan airspace into neighbouring Romania, a NATO member.

The drone was tracked by Romanian authorities, while Spanish F-18 fighter jets were scrambled during the incursion. It later returned towards Moldovan airspace before crashing in Moldova.

Moldovan explosives experts examined debris from the crashed drone and found fragments with characteristics similar to Geran-type drones, which are widely used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The episode therefore stretched well beyond the disruption of one presidential flight. Russian drones were moving through the airspace of Moldova and Romania, while civilian aviation was being forced to stop.

Was Zelenskyy's Aircraft Targeted?

That remains unproven.

A Ukrainian source told the Financial Times that a suspected Russian Shahed-type drone nearly struck Zelenskyy's aircraft and that Ukrainian officials believed the plane may have been specifically targeted. The reported incident occurred as the aircraft was preparing to depart Chișinău.

But neither the Norwegian government nor Moldovan authorities have established that the drone was deliberately aimed at Zelenskyy.

Støre did not say whether the near miss was intentional, while the exact distance between the drone and presidential aircraft remains undisclosed. That means the confirmed facts are the drone incursion and the resulting flight disruption, rather than an established attempted attack on Zelenskyy.

The Kremlin also rejected the suggestion that Zelenskyy's aircraft had been threatened. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claim as a Ukrainian provocation.

Moldova Sounds the Alarm

Moldovan President Maia Sandu described the drone incursions as a serious threat to people's lives.

Her warning came as Moldova continued to face the spillover effects of Russia's war against Ukraine, with drones repeatedly crossing or falling near its territory.

For Chișinău, the latest incident demonstrated how quickly the conflict can interfere with civilian aviation and push the security consequences of the war beyond Ukraine's borders.

Zelenskyy Takes the Fight to Norway

Despite the scare, Zelenskyy reached Oslo and attended King Harald V's funeral on 9 September alongside other world leaders. He also met Støre for talks focused on Ukraine's air defence.

The Ukrainian president also discussed FREYJA, a European initiative designed to develop an anti-ballistic missile programme, with Norwegian officials and defence industry representatives.

Zelenskyy said protecting Europe's skies was a shared responsibility, a message that took on added weight after his own journey had been disrupted by a drone alert.

The evidence does not establish that Russia deliberately targeted Zelenskyy's aircraft. But Støre's extraordinary warning captured the wider reality: for Ukraine's president, even a routine flight across Europe can unfold under the shadow of a war that increasingly reaches beyond Ukraine's borders.