Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Wednesday that a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Moldova to Oslo for the funeral of Norway’s recently deceased King Harald V was nearly hit by a drone. “His flight was almost hit by a drone as it took off from Moldova. That’s the reality he lives in,” Store told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, adding that Zelenskyy had left Norway for Canada, where he would meet with leaders in Ottawa. Store did not provide further details about the incident, which reportedly occurred on Tuesday as Zelenskyy was en route from Moldova to Norway. Moldova’s government spokesman said later Wednesday that the flight was delayed when the country’s airspace was closed due to a drone alert. The spokesman said in a statement that Zelenskyy’s plane was able to take off after a Russian drone crashed into Moldovan territory. The Ukrainian president arrived in Oslo on Tuesday afternoon. In the Norwegian capital he met with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg about military aid, including air defense support, as well as civil assistance. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy joined other foreign dignitaries at King Harald’s funeral. At the funeral of Norwegian King Harald V, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (center) was accompanied by other leaders. Image: Dylan Martinez/REUTERS Russian drone in Moldova Meanwhile, neither the Ukrainian authorities nor Zelenskyy himself have commented on the drone incident. The source called the claim that Zelenskyy was at risk “exaggerated.” According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American think tank, a Russian drone flew in Moldovan and Romanian airspace for about an hour on Tuesday. The ISW said the defense ministries of Moldova and Romania reported that a Shahed drone entered Moldovan airspace from Ukraine, flew over Romania and then returned to Moldova, where it crashed. However, it is unclear whether this was the same drone mentioned by Store and the Moldovan government spokesperson. Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko Don’t let the algorithm hide the news. If you trust our team for trustworthy reporting, please take a moment to select us as your preferred source on Google by clicking here and pressing the “star” or “preferred” button, so you always see our verified news first.
