Norway PM says Zelenskyy's plane 'almost hit' by drone en route to Oslo
OSLO: Ukraine and Moldova on Wednesday played down claims from Norway’s prime minister that a plane carrying President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was almost hit by a drone as it flew to Oslo.
OSLO: Norway's prime minister, Jonas Gahr Store, asserted on Wednesday that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane was almost hit by a drone while en route to Oslo from Moldova. However, a Ukrainian presidential source dismissed the claim as exaggerated. The incident reportedly involved a Russian drone that entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace.
Upon hearing the news, Moldova's government promptly closed its airspace on Tuesday afternoon to protect other aircraft. This airspace closure led to three departures and four arrivals being delayed. After 5:20 PM local time, authorities confirmed that the drone had crashed and exploded approximately 160 kilometers from Chisinau International Airport.
Flight restrictions were subsequently lifted. As a result, Zelenskyy's plane departed slightly later than planned. Zelenskyy had arrived in Oslo the previous day for discussions with Store, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, focusing on military aid, including air-defence support, and civilian assistance.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy participated in the funeral of Norway's King Harald, who had passed away on August 28 at the age of 89. He then proceeded to Canada to meet with other international leaders.
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