Zelenskyy’s Flight Delayed by Moldova Drone Alert: What Has Been Confirmed

A flight carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Chișinău to Oslo on September 8 was delayed after Moldova temporarily closed its airspace during a drone alert. Zelenskyy later arrived safely in Oslo. What is confirmed is a serious disruption to aviation security; what has not been publicly established is how close any drone came to his aircraft. 3338

What officials have confirmed

A Moldovan government spokesperson said Zelenskyy’s aircraft was cleared to take off only after authorities established that a Russian drone had come down on Moldovan territory. The airspace closure also delayed three departures and four arrivals. Officials said two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace. 33

Moldova’s Defence Ministry said a Shahed-type drone was detected at about 4:20 p.m. local time after entering from the direction of Ukraine. It left Moldovan airspace towards Romania at about 4:37 p.m. 27

Romania issued emergency alerts and scrambled NATO fighter jets in response to the incursion. Subsequent reports said the drone crashed in Moldova. 27

Where did the claim that the plane was “almost hit” come from?

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told public broadcaster NRK that Zelenskyy’s flight was “almost hit” by a drone as it prepared to leave Moldova. He cited the episode to underscore the security risks faced by Ukraine’s president. 38

However, Støre did not publicly provide the source of that information, a precise timeline, tracking data or the distance between the drone and the aircraft. That means an alleged close pass cannot be independently verified. A source in the Ukrainian presidency described the account of an immediate threat to Zelenskyy as “exaggerated.” 1036

The most cautious conclusion is that the drone alert and flight disruption were real, while the claim of an aircraft being “almost hit” lacks sufficient public detail to determine the level of danger to Zelenskyy’s plane. 3338

Drone crash and impact on civilian aviation

Moldovan police said a Russian drone crashed in a sunflower field in the Rîșcani district, sparking four fires but causing no reported injuries. 3

The incident illustrates how drone activity around Ukraine can quickly affect civilian airspace and airport operations in neighbouring countries. Moldova closed its airspace while Zelenskyy’s plane was awaiting departure; there is no public evidence that the aircraft itself was specifically targeted. 33

Part of a wider pattern of airspace incursions

The episode followed other drone incursions into Moldova. On August 27, ahead of Moldova’s Independence Day, the country reported five unauthorised drone flights through its airspace amid Russian attacks on Ukraine. 1920

On the same night as the flight disruption, a drone attack near the Tudora–Starokazache crossing on the Ukraine–Moldova border prompted an evacuation. Reports said two Ukrainian civilians were killed and others injured. 17

What happened next

Zelenskyy arrived safely in Oslo on the evening of September 8 to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V. The Moldova episode did not result in an aviation accident, but it highlighted how drone operations around Ukraine can create cross-border risks—from public warnings and airspace closures to fighter-jet deployments and threats near border crossings. 32733