A drone alert temporarily closed Moldovan airspace and delayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s departure for Norway. Moldovan officials said two Russian drones entered the country’s airspace, with one crashing in a field and the other continuing toward Romania.
The disruption came as Zelenskyy was preparing to fly from Moldova to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V. Several other flights were also delayed as authorities responded to the drone activity.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Zelenskyy’s aircraft nearly came into contact with a drone during takeoff. No details were immediately given about how close the drone came to the presidential plane.
Moldovan authorities temporarily suspended flights while the drones were tracked. One of the drones crashed and caused a fire, while the other crossed into Romanian airspace before returning toward Moldova.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the war in Ukraine spilling into neighbouring airspace. Moldova and Romania have faced repeated drone-related incidents since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The near-miss involving Zelenskyy’s aircraft highlights the growing risks for countries close to the conflict, as Russian drone attacks continue to create security and aviation concerns across the region.
