A flight carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Moldova to Norway is delayed after Moldovan authorities close the country’s airspace due to a drone incursion, government officials say. The aircraft is waiting at Chișinău International Airport when the closure affects planned departures.
Moldovan officials state the alert follows detection of a Russian drone that enters Moldovan territory and later crashes, with authorities investigating damage and local impacts. Multiple outlets report Moldovan police describe the drone coming down in the Rîșcani district, where fires reportedly break out.
While outlets broadly agree on the airspace closure and the resulting delay, they differ in some details. The New York Times and NBC News describe the delay linked to the drone incursion without endorsing specific claims about the drone’s proximity to the aircraft. The Korea Times and The Hindu, citing statements by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, say Zelenskyy’s plane was nearly hit during takeoff, while Zelenskyy also speaks of Russian drone attacks on Moldova while he is in transit.
