Norway PM Says Zelenskyy's Plane Nearly Hit by Drone in Moldova

General14 sourcesSep 10, 2026

6 placedFactual rigor 54/100

The Story

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova on Tuesday, en route to Oslo.

Støre told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that "That is the reality he lives in." Zelenskyy had flown to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway's King Harald V on Wednesday. Moldova's military detected an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle in the country's airspace at 4:20 pm EEST (3:20 CEST) on Tuesday. Moldovan officials confirmed the country's airspace was closed shortly after 4:30 pm to protect aircraft, delaying three departures and four arrivals.

By 4:37 pm, Romania's Defence Ministry reported the drone crossed into Romanian, and thus NATO, airspace. Two Spanish F-18 fighter jets deployed as part of NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission took off two minutes later to monitor it, but did not intercept the drone. The spokesperson added that Zelenskyy's plane was able to depart after a Russian drone came down on Moldovan territory, 160km away from Chisinau International Airport.

Ukrainian government sources described claims that Zelenskyy was directly at risk as exaggerated. Neither Ukrainian authorities nor Zelenskyy himself have commented on the drone incident. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported a Russian Shahed drone flew in Moldovan and Romanian airspace for about an hour on Tuesday before crashing in Moldova.

What they agree on

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane was "almost hit by a drone" while taking off from Moldova.
The incident occurred on Tuesday as Zelenskyy was en route to Oslo for King Harald V's funeral.
Moldova's military detected an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle in its airspace, leading to the closure of its airspace.
A Russian Shahed drone reportedly entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace before crashing in Moldova.
Ukrainian government sources described claims that Zelenskyy was directly at risk as "exaggerated."

Where they split

Breitbart News highlights the Norwegian Prime Minister's statement that Zelenskyy's plane was "nearly hit by a drone" and notes Kyiv's subsequent denial, framing it as a "close-shave."
Euronews provides a detailed timeline of the drone incident, including specific times and actions taken by Moldovan and Romanian authorities.
The Washington Post and AKIpress News Agency focus on the threat to Zelenskyy's plane and the delay caused by the drone.
IJR (Independent Journal Review) includes a statement from Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg about Zelenskyy reporting delays and threats, and details Zelenskyy's meetings in Oslo.