The plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Norway was delayed in Moldova on Tuesday after authorities temporarily closed the country's airspace following a drone alert, while Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the aircraft was nearly struck by a drone as it prepared to take off.
"His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing," Stoere told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK on Wednesday. He did not disclose the source of the information or say how close the drone came to the aircraft.
A Moldovan government spokesperson said the closure of the country's airspace delayed Zelenskyy's departure. In a statement, the spokesperson said the president's aircraft was cleared for take-off once authorities established that a Russian drone had come down on Moldovan territory.
The incident occurred as two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace on Tuesday, disrupting operations at Chisinau airport. Several flights bound for the capital were diverted to airports outside Moldova or forced into holding patterns, according to Flightradar24 data.
Zelenskyy was travelling to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V, who died on August 28 aged 89. He attended the funeral on Wednesday alongside other heads of state and left Norway shortly afterwards.