A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was nearly hit by a drone while taking off from Moldova en route to Oslo for King Harald V's funeral, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Zelenskyy's office later disputed the characterization of the danger.
Russia's FSB security service announced the detention of Nicolae Kochu, a 21-year-old Moldovan citizen, suspected of shooting Russian Aerospace Forces General Nikolay Varpakhovich in the Astrakhan region. Russian authorities claim Kochu was recruited by Ukraine to carry out the assassination attempt, which is the latest in a series of attacks on Russian military personnel linked to the war in Ukraine.
Russia's FSB security service announced the detention of Nicolae Kochu, a 21-year-old Moldovan citizen, suspected of shooting Russian Aerospace Forces General Nikolay Varpakhovich in the Astrakhan region. Russian authorities claim Kochu was recruited by Ukraine to carry out the assassination attempt, which is the latest in a series of attacks on Russian military personnel linked to the war in Ukraine.
Moldova recalled its ambassador to Russia for consultations after an unidentified drone crashed and exploded in the village of Crocmaz near the Ukrainian border. The Moldovan president condemned Russia over the incident, calling it a serious violation.
Hungary has delayed a key procedural step in the EU membership applications of Ukraine and Moldova, while EU officials are considering separating the two countries' accession processes that have been informally linked since the beginning.
The European Union officially began membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on June 15, 2026, marking a decisive step forward in both countries' bids to join the bloc. The process was delayed by Hungarian vetoes but has now advanced to the first substantive phase of negotiations.
