A Russian drone entering Moldovan airspace delayed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s flight from Chisinau, officials said.
Zelensky and his wife, Olena, were at Chisinau International Airport when the unmanned aircraft crossed into Moldova from the direction of Ukraine. The incident prompted authorities to shut down Moldovan airspace temporarily. Zelensky’s plane remained on the runway for about an hour before it was cleared to depart.
The flight had been scheduled to leave at about 16:30 local time on Tuesday ahead of Zelensky’s trip to Oslo.
Moldovan government spokesman Dumitru Ciorici told the BBC that three departures and four arrivals were delayed because of the drone. Authorities later confirmed that the drone had come down and exploded about 160km from Chisinau airport.
The aircraft was eventually cleared to take off after officials determined that it no longer posed a threat to the airport. However, the incident prompted concerns about the safety of Zelensky’s flight.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told public broadcaster NRK that Zelensky’s aircraft had “almost” been hit by a drone while taking off from Moldova. A Ukrainian source later told Agence France-Presse that the danger had been exaggerated. The Kremlin also denied that the drone posed a threat to Zelensky’s plane.
Zelensky and his wife arrived safely in Oslo, where he held talks with Støre and other officials about military support. They later attended the state funeral of Norway’s King Harald V before travelling to Iceland and then Canada.
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