A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Moldova to Oslo was nearly struck by a drone during takeoff, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 9, 2026, as the Ukrainian leader traveled to attend the funeral of Norway’s late King Harald V, according to public broadcaster NRK.
Drone Incident During Departure From Moldova
The close call happened while President Zelenskyy’s aircraft was preparing to leave Chisinau, according to statements made by Prime Minister Store on Wednesday, September 10, 2026. “His flight was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he lives in,” Store told Norwegian broadcaster NRK, adding that the Norwegian prime minister did not provide further details regarding how close the drone came or what specific source verified the trajectory.
Flight operations at Chisinau airport experienced temporary suspensions on Tuesday following incursions by two Russian drones entering Moldovan airspace, according to flight data tracked by Flightradar24. Moldovan President Maia Sandu condemned the airspace violations as a serious threat to public safety, alongside a separate attack on a border crossing with Ukraine that resulted in two deaths.
Diplomatic Discussions in Oslo on Air Defense
Following the disrupted departure, Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening, September 9, 2026, to participate in official mourning events. On Wednesday, September 10, 2026, he marched behind the coffin of King Harald V alongside international heads of state before holding high-level security talks with Norwegian leadership.
Discussions in Oslo centered heavily on military assistance and critical air defense infrastructure. Store met with Zelenskyy alongside Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. According to Store’s statements to NRK, bilateral talks explored industrial cooperation to help Ukraine manufacture its own air defense systems to address existing gaps in national protection. Following his engagements in Norway, Zelenskyy departed to hold further meetings with Canadian leaders.
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