Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane was nearly struck by a drone while taking off from Moldova en route to Norway, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The incident occurred as the president was departing Moldova to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V.
"His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing," Store stated, as reported by Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Wednesday. The Norwegian Prime Minister noted that Zelenskyy had arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening, where he held discussions with Norwegian officials regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine and the country's urgent need for additional air defense systems.
Jens Stoltenberg, the Norwegian Finance Minister and former NATO chief, confirmed that Zelenskyy had personally described the challenges surrounding his departure. "He told us about it last night when we had a meeting with him. I don't dare go into the details about it, but he was delayed, and there were some threats against the plane," Stoltenberg said.
In addition to the security concerns raised, the meetings between Zelenskyy and Norwegian leadership focused heavily on military support. Store indicated that representatives from the Norwegian and Ukrainian industries are currently collaborating to determine if further air defense equipment can be provided to Kyiv. The discussions also explored potential industrial solutions that would enable Ukraine to manufacture its own air defense systems.
