The departure from Moldova of a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Norway was delayed after authorities closed the country's airspace due to a drone intrusion, a Moldovan government spokesman said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reported.
A Ukrainian official said a Russian Shahed drone nearly hit Zelensky's plane, the FT reported.
The president's plane was cleared to take off after it was discovered that a Russian drone had fallen on Moldovan territory, the spokesman said.
A total of three takeoffs and four landings were delayed while Moldovan airspace was closed.
Two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace, Moldovan officials said on Tuesday. One crashed in a field north of the capital, sparking a fire, while the second continued into Romanian airspace.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu condemned the drone incursion as a “serious threat to people's lives“ and condemned a Russian drone attack on a border post with Ukraine that killed two people. Zelensky was traveling to Oslo for the funeral of the King of Norway.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told public broadcaster NRK late on Tuesday that Zelensky's plane had narrowly missed a drone.
“His plane narrowly missed a drone as it was preparing to take off from Moldova. "This is the reality he faces," said Støre, who did not specify the source of his information or how close the drone came.
Zelensky attended the funeral of King Harald V of Norway last night along with other heads of state in central Oslo. He left Norway shortly after the funeral.
The plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the funeral of Norwegian King Harald V in Oslo was almost hit by a drone, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre revealed. This happened as the plane was leaving Moldova, the Norwegian prime minister told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. According to Støre, this shows the reality the Ukrainian leader is facing.
The Norwegian prime minister did not specify the source of this information or how close the drone was to Zelensky's plane.