Zelenskyy flight nearly hit by drone, Norwegian leader says

A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Oslo was almost hit by a drone as it took off from Moldova, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Wednesday, describing the incident as an example of the danger facing Ukraine’s wartime leader.

“His flight was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova,” Store told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. “That is the reality he lives in.”

Store gave no further details about the episode. Al Jazeera reported that he did not say what his source was for the information or how close the drone came to the aircraft.

A source in the Ukrainian presidency gave AFP a more cautious account, saying there had been “an alert in Moldova when a Russian (drone) entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace.” The source described the claim that Zelenskyy was at risk as “exaggerated,” CBS News reported.

Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, who died on Aug. 28 at the age of 89. On Wednesday, he joined foreign dignitaries including Prince William, the heir to the British throne, and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, as well as political leaders from more than 20 countries.

While in Norway, Zelenskyy held talks with Store, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Norwegian military aid, including air defense support, and civilian assistance, CBS News reported.

Al Jazeera reported that Zelenskyy and Store also met defense industry executives to discuss advancing a European anti-ballistic system codenamed FREYJA. In a social media post, Zelenskyy said the meeting focused on dividing responsibilities between governments and defense companies and agreeing on steps needed to produce the first practical results from the program.

“We expect to see the first practical results. I am grateful to Norway for hosting this meeting. I thank our partners for their readiness to work together. Protecting Europe’s skies is our shared responsibility,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy’s visit came as Ukraine continued to face Russian attacks. Al Jazeera, citing Ukrainian regional officials, reported that at least eight people were killed in Russian attacks on Wednesday, including along the Ukraine-Moldova border and in the southeast.

After the funeral, Zelenskyy left Norway for Canada, where he was expected to hold talks with leaders there, Store told NRK, according to CBS News.