A jet-powered attack drone came close to hitting Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane as it left Moldova on Tuesday, Ukrainian and Norwegian officials say. The incident, which forced a temporary halt at Chișinău airport, underscores the growing geopolitical risk posed by Russian drone strikes spilling into neighbouring airspace.
According to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, speaking to public broadcaster NRK: "plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova." A senior Ukrainian official travelling with the president confirmed the report and said the drone was believed to be a jet-powered Shahed-type weapon.
Drone tracked across three borders
Moldovan air traffic and Ukrainian military tracking records reviewed by the Financial Times show the drone crossed Ukraine's border at about 16:20 local time, heading west toward Moldova. By 16:38 it had entered Romanian airspace, and at 16:47 it was tracked roughly 70km inside Romania on a westerly course.
The drone then re-entered Moldovan airspace at 17:04, and radar contact was lost ten minutes later. Officials believe it crashed near the Moldovan village of Sturzeni. Zelenskyy was flying to Norway to attend King Harald's funeral when the incident occurred.
Airport shut, no casualties reported
Moldovan authorities temporarily halted operations at Chișinău airport following the incident, and Zelenskyy offered the use of a Ukrainian F-16 to intercept the drone, according to Ukrainian officials. The Ukrainian official said there was no damage or casualties, though authorities are investigating.
Støre did not say whether the plane was directly targeted. But the Ukrainian official travelling with Zelenskyy said the drone came close enough that it could have been aimed at the aircraft. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Peace talks stalled as incursions spread
The near miss follows visits by Donald Trump's special envoys to Moscow and Kyiv aimed at reviving peace talks that stalled after the US war in Iran began. It also highlights the growing risk Russia's drone and missile campaign now poses to civilian aviation beyond Ukraine's borders, as strikes have increasingly crossed into EU and NATO airspace in recent months.
Source: Financial Times
Trading involves risk.
Risk Disclaimer
