Moldova denies drone threat to Zelenskyy’s aircraft

Moldovan authorities have denied reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aircraft came under threat from a drone while flying over Moldovan territory, saying the plane was still at Chisinau International Airport when the incident occurred.

Moldovan government spokesman Dumitru Ciorici told journalists that Zelenskyy’s aircraft was delayed because Moldovan airspace had been temporarily closed after a drone entered the country from Ukraine.

Ciorici said Moldovan military authorities tracked the drone until it crossed the border into Romania. The incident took place on the afternoon of September 8.

“The measure resulted in three departing flights and four arriving flights being delayed. For the same reason, the aircraft carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also departed from Chisinau International Airport with a delay,” Ciorici said.

He stressed that “there was no direct threat to Zelenskyy’s aircraft.”

Zelenskyy was travelling from Chisinau to Oslo to attend the funeral of King Harald V of Norway. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had earlier said that his aircraft had “almost been hit” by a drone while taking off from Moldova on September 8.

Ukrainian sources had also previously dismissed reports that Zelenskyy’s aircraft was threatened by a drone as "exaggerated."

By Vugar Khalilov