Drone Incident Near Zelenskyy’s Plane as It Took Off from Moldova

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A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Norway for the king’s state funeral nearly collided with a drone while preparing to depart from Moldova, according to sources.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre shared details about the incident with broadcaster NRK after Zelenskyy’s aircraft successfully reached Oslo on Tuesday evening. Støre remarked on the danger, saying, “His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova.” However, specifics regarding the drone’s proximity to the plane were not disclosed.

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On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Moldovan government indicated that two Russian drones were involved. Zelenskyy’s departure faced delays when Moldova temporarily closed its airspace. Officials allowed Zelenskyy’s plane to take off once one of the drones was confirmed to have landed on Moldovan land.

One drone landed north of Moldova’s capital in a field, causing a fire, while the other drone ventured into Romanian airspace. These incursions led to a temporary suspension of activities at Chișinău International Airport. Flights were held in patterns or rerouted to neighboring countries.

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Moldova has encountered many airspace violations since the conflict’s onset in February 2022, including Russian drones and missiles crashing in its region. Moldova’s President Maia Sandu criticized these violations as perilous. She condemned a deadly Russian drone attack at a border crossing with Ukraine.

Zelenskyy reached Oslo on Tuesday night, discussing military assistance and air defense support with Norwegian officials, as reported by Deutsche Welle.

The Institute for the Study of War reported a Russian Shahed drone traveling through Moldovan and Romanian airspace for about an hour before crashing back in Moldova.

Emma Bussey, who covers breaking news for Fox News Digital, previously wrote for The Telegraph and covered topics like foreign affairs, politics, news, sports, and culture.