Russian drone alert delayed Zelensky’s departure for Norway, Moldova says

Drone Incident Delays Zelensky’s Flight From Moldova to Norway

Healfromzero.com – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned departure from Moldova for Norway was postponed after authorities temporarily shut the country’s airspace in response to a Russian drone incident.

Moldovan officials reopened the airspace on Tuesday after determining that one of the drones had fallen inside the country. Zelensky’s aircraft then departed, but later than planned. The closure also disrupted civilian aviation, delaying three outgoing flights and four incoming services.

The incident unfolded as Zelensky was traveling to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V. He joined other international leaders in central Oslo on Wednesday, walking behind the monarch’s coffin during the ceremony before leaving Norway shortly afterward.

Drone falls near Moldovan capital

A Moldovan government spokesperson said the president’s flight received clearance only after officials established that a Russian drone had come down on Moldovan territory. The explosion occurred about 160 kilometers, or 100 miles, from Chișinău International Airport.

Authorities said two Russian drones crossed into Moldovan airspace on Tuesday. One landed in a field north of Chișinău and started a fire. The other continued beyond Moldova into Romanian airspace.

The temporary restrictions illustrate how fighting near Ukraine’s borders can rapidly affect neighboring countries, including those whose airspace is used by civilian flights and visiting officials. Moldova lies between Ukraine and Romania, placing it close to areas repeatedly affected by Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and border regions.

President Maia Sandu described the drone intrusions as a grave danger to civilians. She also condemned a Russian drone strike on a crossing near the Ukrainian border that killed two people.

Questions over whether the flight was at risk

Moldova’s ambassador to the United States, Vladislav Kulminski, said officials did not believe the episode was simply accidental, particularly because Zelensky’s plane was on the ground at the airport.

“Most likely this is not an accident because we do not believe in jet propelled drones just flying into Moldova’s territory for surveillance purposes while [the] Ukrainian president’s airplane is on the ground at the airport,” Vladislav Kulminski said.

When asked whether Moldovan authorities believed Zelensky himself had been the intended target, Kulminski said the inquiry was still underway and that it was too soon to reach a conclusion.

He noted that Zelensky has frequently relied on Moldovan airspace during foreign travel, suggesting that the danger associated with such routes may not be new. The Kremlin had not issued public comment on the incident.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Zelensky’s aircraft had come close to being hit by a drone as it prepared to leave Moldova. Støre did not identify the origin of that information or specify the distance between the drone and the plane.

“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 said.

The episode underscores the extraordinary security conditions surrounding Zelensky’s international travel. Even journeys to diplomatic and ceremonial events can be affected by airspace closures, missile and drone activity, and fast-changing military risks beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Norway visit followed by Canada trip

After attending the funeral in Oslo, Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska were expected to continue to Canada on Wednesday. Their visit with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to run through September 11.

The sequence of events placed a highly visible diplomatic trip against the backdrop of regional instability. Moldova’s decision to close its airspace was a precautionary response to the drone threat, but it also demonstrated the wider consequences of attacks and military activity connected to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

For Moldova, the latest incursion adds to concerns about sovereignty and public safety. For Ukraine’s leadership, it is another reminder that security risks can follow official travel far beyond the battlefield.