A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was delayed in Moldova on September 8, 2026, due to a Russian drone incursion. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre reported the aircraft was nearly struck, though Ukrainian officials later disputed this characterization as exaggerated. The incident triggered a temporary closure of Moldovan airspace. Zelenskyy arrived safely in Oslo later that evening to attend the state funeral of King Harald V and hold defense talks.
Drone incident near Zelenskyy's plane
- ▪A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was reportedly almost hit by a drone as it prepared to take off from Moldova on September 8, 2026.
- ▪Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg stated that Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally recounted the flight delay and threats against his plane during a meeting on September 8, 2026.
- ▪Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced on September 9, 2026, that Volodymyr Zelenskyy's flight was nearly struck by a drone during takeoff from Moldova.
Conflicting accounts of threat severity
- ▪An anonymous source within the Ukrainian presidency disputed the severity of the incident, calling the claim that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in danger exaggerated.
- ▪The Ukrainian presidential source characterized the incident as an airspace alert triggered when a Russian drone entered Moldovan and Romanian territory.
Moldovan airspace closure
- ▪Moldovan authorities temporarily suspended arrivals and departures at Chișinău International Airport on September 8, 2026, due to a drone alert.
- ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aircraft was cleared for takeoff after Moldovan officials established that the drone had come down on Moldovan territory.
Russian drones over Moldova
- ▪Ukrainian open-source monitoring channels identified the crashed aircraft as a Geran-4, a jet-powered Russian strike drone that flies faster than older Shahed models.
- ▪Moldovan President Maia Sandu denounced the drone incursions as a serious threat to people's lives.
- ▪One Russian drone crashed in a field in Moldova, sparking a fire, while the second drone continued into Romanian airspace.
- ▪A Moldovan government spokesperson confirmed that two Russian drones violated Moldovan airspace on September 8, 2026.
King Harald V funeral attendance
- ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Oslo on September 8, 2026, to attend the state funeral of Norway's King Harald V.
- ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy walked in the funeral procession for King Harald V on September 9, 2026, alongside other world leaders including Prince William and Crown Prince Akishino.
Norway-Ukraine defense cooperation discussions
- ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed Norwegian military aid, air defense support, and civilian assistance with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
- ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and defense executives in Oslo to discuss advancing a European anti-ballistic system codenamed FREYJA.
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