Norway PM says Zelenskyy's plane nearly hit by drone over Moldova

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said on Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aircraft was nearly struck by a drone during takeoff from Moldova. "His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing," Store told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

The incident occurred as Zelenskyy departed for Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V, highlighting the dangers of wartime diplomatic travel.

Zelenskyy's Oslo visit

Zelenskyy arrived on Tuesday evening and held meetings with Store regarding Kyiv's urgent need for enhanced air defense. Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg — who served as NATO secretary-general when Russia's invasion began — confirmed that the Ukrainian president had described problems with 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. The former NATO chief declined to elaborate on specific security details.

Air defense talks

Additional air defense systems for Ukraine dominated the agenda during Zelenskyy's talks with Norwegian officials, Store noted. He said Norwegian and Ukrainian industries were examining whether Oslo could supply more equipment and whether industrial cooperation might enable Ukraine to manufacture such systems domestically.

The discussions come as Kyiv continues to request advanced air defense from Western allies. Stoltenberg's presence underscored the ongoing security cooperation between Oslo and Kyiv.