The aircraft of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nearly collided with a drone during takeoff in Moldova, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Støre confirmed the incident to NRK on Wednesday, noting that the drone’s presence triggered alerts across Romania, Moldova, and NATO.
President Zelenskyy was traveling to Oslo to attend the funeral of King Harald and to meet with the Norwegian government. Upon arriving in Oslo, he met with Prime Minister Støre, along with Ministers Jens Stoltenberg and Espen Barth Eide, where they discussed ways to improve Ukrainian air defense capabilities.
The drone was first detected on Tuesday afternoon within Moldovan airspace. This discovery prompted the closure of local airports and raised immediate alarms within the NATO structure. In response, a Spanish NATO fighter jet took off from a Romanian base. Ultimately, the drone eventually crashed near the Moldovan border.
