Zelenskyy Narrowly Escapes Drone Incident During Flight From Moldova

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly had a close encounter with a drone while travelling from Moldova to Norway, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.

Store revealed the incident while speaking to Norways public broadcaster NRK. He said a drone came close to the aircraft carrying Zelenskyy as it was leaving Moldova for Oslo.

The Norwegian prime minister did not provide further details about the incident. He said the episode reflected the difficult reality faced by the Ukrainian president while his country remains at war.

Zelenskyy travelled to Oslo for the funeral of King Harald of Norway. He arrived in the Norwegian capital on Tuesday evening and later held meetings with senior members of the Norwegian government.

During his visit, Zelenskyy met Prime Minister Store, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. Discussions focused on Norways continued support for Ukraine, including military assistance, air defence and humanitarian aid.

The need for additional air defence systems for Ukraine was also discussed during the meetings. Store said the talks were important but no final decision had been reached on any additional support at that stage.

The reported drone incident has added another concern to Zelenskyys international travel amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Store said the episode demonstrated the challenging circumstances surrounding the Ukrainian presidents movements.

Zelenskyy was expected to leave Norway after the royal funeral and travel to Canada for further talks with Canadian leaders. His visit there is expected to focus on continued international support for Ukraine and issues linked to the ongoing war.

The Norwegian government has remained an important supporter of Ukraine since the conflict began, providing military and civilian assistance. Air defence has become a particular priority for Kyiv as it seeks to protect cities and critical infrastructure from aerial attacks.

Details about the drone that reportedly approached Zelenskyys aircraft, including its origin and how close it came to the plane, have not been publicly disclosed by Norwegian authorities. Store also declined to elaborate on the incident when asked about it.