Russian Drone Incursion Delayed Zelensky Flight to Oslo, Moldova Says

Russian Drone Incursion Delayed Zelensky Flight to Oslo, Moldova Says - The New York Times

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Russian Drone Incursion Delayed Zelensky Flight to Oslo, Moldova Says

An airspace closure delayed the Ukrainian leader’s trip between Moldova and Norway, officials said. They did not confirm a claim by Norway’s prime minister that a drone had “almost hit” the plane.

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!A group of four people stands in profile, wearing dark formal attire. They include a person with brown hair, a bearded person, and two people with lighter hair.

*President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, second from left, at the funeral of King Harald V of Norway in Oslo on Wednesday. His plane’s departure from Moldova on Tuesday was delayed by a Russian drone near Chisinau, officials said.

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Odd Andersen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images*

By

Francesca Regalado and Lynsey Chutel

Sept. 10, 2026

Updated 8:35 a.m. ET

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An incursion by a Russian drone into Moldova’s airspace this week forced the authorities there to temporarily ground several flights, including one carrying President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, the Moldovan government said on Thursday.

The drone flew into Moldovan airspace on Tuesday from the direction of Ukraine as Mr. Zelensky was leaving Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, for Norway, to attend the funeral of King Harald V and to discuss Ukrainian air defenses with Norwegian officials and European defense suppliers.

Drones incursions have become increasingly common in Moldova and in other countries neighboring Ukraine or Russia, one of several ways in which the war between the two countries has spilled over their borders.

The Moldovan authorities said that the drone came down about 100 miles from Chisinau’s airport. It was not immediately clear what had caused the drone to fall to the ground, and Moldova’s government did not say whether the incursion constituted a direct threat to Mr. Zelensky.

“All flights, including President Zelensky’s, were able to take off and land once the government had confirmation that the drone had come down,” Olga Rosca, a foreign policy adviser to President Maia Sandu of Moldova, said in an interview on Thursday. Moldova recorded 17 similar incursions in August alone, Ms. Rosca said.

Mr. Zelensky’s office declined to comment. Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne, citing an unnamed official in Mr. Zelensky’s office, reported that two Russian drones had flown into Moldova at about the time his plane was scheduled to take off for Oslo.

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