A drone nearly hit Zelenskyy’s plane taking off from Moldova on his way to a king’s funeral, Norway’s PM says
Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo having spent much of the night on the phone about strikes on his own country.
An unknown drone nearly struck President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane as it took off from Moldova en route to King Harald's funeral in Oslo, according to Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Støre received Zelenskyy the following day and recounted the incident on Norwegian broadcaster NRK. The account suggests Russia's air war now extends into neighboring countries, with a Russian drone reportedly coming close to a head of state as he departed from Ukraine.
Støre emphasized the realities faced by Zelenskyy during his visit. Details of the near-miss remain scarce, with Støre not disclosing the drone's proximity or its fate. While the drone may have originated from Ukraine, it could also be linked to a previous incident in Leipzig, Germany, where a drone carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian An-124 cargo plane on August 4th.
Zelenskyy reportedly had a difficult night due to receiving information about missile strikes. After landing, he met with Støre, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. The drone war has expanded to Moldova, with Russian drones hitting border crossings that connect Odesa Oblast to Moldova and Romania.
Moldova, lacking sufficient air defenses, has been working to bolster its defenses. The Institute for the Study of War stated that these incursions demonstrate Russia's intention to normalize the threat its strikes pose to European states.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 9 other outlets
- Zelenskyy's plane nearly hit by drone while taking off from Moldova timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- Russian drone in Moldova nearly hit Zelensky's plane, source says kyivindependent.com
- Norway's PM: Zelenskyy's plane almost hit by drone dw.com
- Ukraine leader Zelensky’s plane almost hit by drone on way to Oslo, Norway PM says scmp.com
- Zelenskyy's plane almost hit by drone, Norway's prime minister says cbsnews.com
- Zelenskyy’s plane nearly hit by a drone, Norwegian PM says toronto.citynews.ca
- Drone nearly struck Zelensky’s plane en route from Moldova to Oslo, Norwegian PM says ukrinform.net
- Zelenskyy’s plane ‘almost hit’ by drone on way to Oslo, Norwegian PM says aljazeera.com
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