Zelensky's plane would have brushed against a drone during takeoff in Moldova, according to the Norwegian Prime Minister

The plane carrying Volodymyr Zelensky from Moldova to Oslo, where he attended the funeral of King Harald of Norway on Wednesday, was almost hit by a drone, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in the evening.

“His plane was almost hit by a drone during takeoff in Moldova. This is the reality he lives in,” Store told Norwegian public television NRK. Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening. He provided no further details about this incident.

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Mr. Zelensky arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening, where he spoke with Mr. Store as well as Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide about military aid, including support for air defense, and civil aid, provided by Norway to his country.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian president joined many other foreign dignitaries to attend the funeral of King Harald, who died on August 28 at the age of 89. Mr. Zelensky then left Norway for Canada, Mr. Støre told broadcaster NRK.

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Russian drone violates Moldovan airspace

A source within the Ukrainian presidency qualified this version to AFP. “It was an alert in Moldova, when a Russian (drone) entered the airspace of Moldova and Romania,” he explained. This source called the assertion that Mr Zelensky was at any risk in this situation “exaggerated”.

For his part, Moldovan government spokesperson Dumitru Ciorici said in a statement that Moldova had “closed its airspace on the afternoon of September 8, shortly after 4:30 p.m. (local time, 1:30 p.m. GMT) after its airspace was violated by a Russian drone arriving from Ukraine.”

“After 5:20 p.m. (local time, 2:30 p.m. GMT), authorities confirmed that the drone had fallen and exploded approximately 160 km from Chisinau International Airport. Flight restrictions were then lifted and the Ukrainian president's plane took off later than planned.

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The Ukrainian president arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening, where he spoke with Mr. Store as well as with Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide about military aid, including support for anti-aircraft defense, and civil aid, provided by Norway to his country. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian president joined many other foreign dignitaries to attend the funeral of King Harald, who died on August 28 at the age of 89. Mr. Zelensky then left Norway for Canada, Mr. Støre told broadcaster NRK.