Zelenskyy's plane nearly hit by drone while taking off from Moldova: Norway PM

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." NRK cited him as saying.Norwegian finance minister Jens Stoltenberg also confirmed that Zelenskyy personally recounted the incident shortly after arriving in the Norwegian capital."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. But I don't know enough about the details to explain anything more," Stoltenberg said."There were some problems getting out, but it's never easy to get out of Ukraine. But the most important thing was that he took the time, the effort it took for him to come to the funeral," he added.Despite the security risks during the journey, Stoltenberg said Zelenskyy's presence at the funeral was significant. He noted that it was impressive to see the Ukrainian president walking alongside other world leaders during King Harald's funeral on Wednesday, NRK reported.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. He was a monarch who, for over 35 years, embodied Norway – its openness, dignity, and respect for people. Over that time, our bond with Norway has grown especially strong."Zelenskyy also expressed gratitude for Norway's continued support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict."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."Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian defence forces had carried out successful long-range strikes against a major Russian naval base, as Russian drone and missile attacks killed and wounded civilians across several Ukrainian cities.In another post on X, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had struck key targets deep inside Russian territory, including the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk in the Krasnodar region.The strikes against Russian infrastructure came as emergency crews were deployed across Ukraine following another wave of deadly Russian drone attacks targeting civilian infrastructure.Zelenskyy said Russian strikes in Sumy, Kyiv and Mykolaiv had killed several people and left others seriously injured.Calling on international partners to increase their support to help end the escalation, he wrote, “Right now, it is important for all partners to focus as much as possible and work on the relevant steps toward de-escalation and an end to the killing,”Zelenskyy said he had discussed the situation with representatives of US President Donald Trump's team as well as European leaders.His remarks came after talks in Kyiv with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.Zelenskyy said three rounds of discussions with the US delegation had taken place and described them as substantive, expressing hope that the talks would help revive negotiations and lead to a lasting peace agreement.Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia welcomed US President Donald Trump's efforts to bring peace to the region.With Russia continuing its strikes and diplomatic efforts yet to yield a breakthrough, a lasting peace agreement remains elusive.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.