A suspected Russian Shahed-type drone that violated Moldovan and Romanian airspace on Sept. 8 nearly hit President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plane as it was departing from Moldova, a source told the Kyiv Independent on Sept. 9.
Zelensky was traveling to Norway to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store ahead of the funeral of King Harald V at the time of the incident. The president’s plane took off from Moldova, where the drone incursion occurred.
Moldova’s Defense Ministry reported on Sept. 8 that a Shahed-type drone had invaded the country’s airspace at around 4:20 p.m. local time. It was monitored by the Moldovan military until the drone crossed into Romanian airspace at around 4:37 p.m.
The drone incursion triggered airspace closures, emergency alerts, and the scrambling of NATO fighter jets.
The timing of the drone violation corresponded with Zelensky’s flight from Moldova, a source told the Kyiv Independent.
Store himself said Zelensky’s plane was almost struck by a drone during his trip to Norway.