Zelensky’s plane ‘was almost hit by a drone’ as it jetted to late King of Norway’s funeral
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Volodymyr Zelensky's plane was reportedly "almost hit" by a Russian drone shortly after take-off from Moldova on Tuesday, as the Ukrainian president travelled to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere disclosed the incident to broadcaster NRK, though he did not say how close the drone had come or where his information originated. A Ukrainian presidency source gave a more measured account, saying an alert had been triggered when a Russian drone entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace, and dismissed suggestions that Zelensky had been in danger as "exaggerated".
Zelensky arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening for talks with Stoere, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Norwegian military support, including air-defence assistance and the FREYJA anti-ballistic missile programme, an initiative to develop alternatives to US-made Patriot interceptors. On Wednesday he joined other foreign dignitaries, including Prince William, at the funeral of King Harald, who died on 28 August aged 89, marching behind the coffin in central Oslo before departing for Canada to begin talks with Canadian leaders.
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In short
- Zelensky's plane reportedly nearly hit by drone leaving Moldova
- Ukraine downplayed danger, calling it an airspace alert
- He then attended King Harald V's funeral in Oslo
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Volodymyr Zelensky's plane was reportedly "almost hit" by a Russian drone shortly after take-off from Moldova on Tuesday, as the Ukrainian president travelled to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V.
- 2 months ago Volodymyr Zelensky's plane was reportedly "almost hit" by a Russian drone shortly after take-off from Moldova on Tuesday, as the Ukrainian president travelled to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V.
- 2 months ago Volodymyr Zelensky's plane was reportedly "almost hit" by a Russian drone shortly after take-off from Moldova on Tuesday, as the Ukrainian president travelled to Oslo for the funeral of Norway's King Harald V.
Full account
A Ukrainian government plane carrying President Volodymyr Zelensky to Oslo for the state funeral of King Harald V of Norway was reportedly almost struck by a Russian drone as it took off from Moldova on Tuesday. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre disclosed the incident to public broadcaster NRK, telling viewers: "His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing." Støre did not specify his source for the claim or how close the drone had actually come to the aircraft, and Zelensky's plane went on to land safely in Oslo that evening.
A spokesperson for the Moldovan government subsequently gave a more detailed account, saying two Russian drones had entered the country's airspace, prompting the temporary closure of Chișinău's airspace and a delay to Zelensky's departure. Officials only cleared the aircraft for take-off once it was established that one of the drones had come down on Moldovan soil, in a field north of the capital, where it started a fire; the second drone is said to have carried on into Romanian airspace. The disruption forced Chișinău International Airport to suspend arrivals and departures for a period, with inbound flights held in patterns overhead or diverted elsewhere, according to flight-tracking data. The Institute for the Study of War separately reported that a Shahed-type drone had spent roughly an hour crossing Moldovan and Romanian airspace before crashing in Moldova.
Aides to Zelensky offered a more cautious version of events than Støre's, describing the episode as an airspace alert triggered by a Russian drone straying into Moldovan and Romanian territory, and pushing back on any suggestion that the Ukrainian leader had personally been in danger, calling such an interpretation overstated. Moldova's president, Maia Sandu, condemned the drone incursions as a serious threat to human life, and separately denounced a Russian drone strike on a border crossing with Ukraine that killed two people around the same time.
Once in Oslo, Zelensky held talks on Tuesday evening with Støre, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, focusing on Norwegian military assistance, including air-defence support, civilian aid and the FREYJA project, a scheme to help develop alternatives to American-made Patriot missile interceptors. The following day he was among the foreign dignitaries, including Prince William, who walked behind the coffin of King Harald through central Oslo; the Norwegian monarch had died on 28 August at the age of 89. After the funeral, Zelensky departed Norway for Canada to begin a further round of talks with Canadian leaders.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The Daily Mail centres its report on Støre's dramatic quote and gives comparatively little detail on the mechanics of the incident, while also carrying the Ukrainian presidency's push-back that the danger was exaggerated.
Fox News (citing Reuters, Deutsche Welle and the Institute for the Study of War) provides far more operational detail: two drones rather than one, the closure of Moldovan airspace, the diversion of other flights, one drone crashing in a field and starting a fire, and the second continuing into Romania.
Only Fox News reports Moldovan President Maia Sandu's condemnation of the incursions and of a separate, fatal drone strike on a Ukraine border crossing that day.
The Mail includes additional context not found in the Fox account, such as details of Zelensky's Oslo meetings on the FREYJA missile programme, his attendance at the funeral alongside Prince William, and his onward travel to Canada.
Explained simply
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has been travelling to build support for his country's defence against Russia's ongoing invasion, which began in 2022. Such trips often involve tight security, as Ukrainian leaders have previously reported threats to their safety while abroad. Moldova and Romania, whose airspace featured in this episode, both border Ukraine and have repeatedly reported Russian drones straying into their territory during the war.
King Harald V was Norway's monarch for more than three decades and the country's longest-reigning king before his death on 28 August, aged 89. His funeral in Oslo drew foreign dignitaries, including Britain's Prince William, reflecting his standing among European royal families and allied nations.
Norway has been one of Ukraine's supporters since the invasion, providing military and financial aid. Zelensky's visit to Oslo combined paying respects at the funeral with talks on further Norwegian support, including air-defence help and a missile programme intended to reduce reliance on American-made systems.
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