Zelenskyy's plane nearly hit by drone
A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy narrowly avoided a collision with an unidentified drone while taking off from Moldova en route to Oslo for the funeral of King Harald V.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store confirmed the incident in an interview with public broadcaster NRK on Wednesday, highlighting the security risks surrounding the Ukrainian leader's movements.
“His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing,” PM told NRK.
The incident has not yet been confirmed by Ukrainian authorities.
Zelenskyy safely arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening after departing Moldova to attend the royal funeral service alongside world leaders and international dignitaries. He had earlier met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Providing further details, State Secretary Bhanuja Rasiah at the Prime Minister's Office told NRK that the airspace threat affected the Ukrainian president's flight schedule.
"There was a drone threat in the airspace over Moldova yesterday, which delayed Zelenskyy's flight on its way to Oslo. These are threats he lives with every day. It is uncertain how close the drones were to his plane. "
"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. "There were some problems getting out, but it's never easy to get out of Ukraine. Despite the security risks during the journey, Stoltenberg said Zelenskyy's presence at the funeral was significant.
Following his attendance at the funeral, Zelenskyy paid tribute to the late monarch in a post on X."We paid our respects to King Harald V. Ukraine will always be grateful to Norway for all its assistance. This support comes not only from the government, but also from the Royal Family and all the people of Norway. I recall with gratitude our warm meeting with His Majesty and the special attention he paid to Ukraine.
Over that time, our bond with Norway has grown especially strong. " "We are grateful that Norway has stood with Ukraine all these years. Thank you for the decisions that are helping us protect people and stand firm today. "
