Zelenskyy’s plane nearly hit by drone
The incident has not yet been confirmed by Ukrainian authorities. Norwegian finance minister Jens Stoltenberg also confirmed that Zelenskyy personally recounted the incident shortly after arriving in the Norwegian capital.
That is the reality he is facing,” PM told NRK. 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. “He told us about it last night when we had a meeting with him. But I don’t know enough about the details to explain anything more,” Stoltenberg said. Despite the security risks during the journey, Stoltenberg said Zelenskyy’s presence at the funeral was significant.
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. “His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was taking off from Moldova. These are threats he lives with every day. It is uncertain how close the drones were to his plane. NRK cited him as saying. I don’t dare go into the details about it, but he was delayed, and there were some threats against the plane. “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. Following his attendance at the funeral, Zelenskyy paid tribute to the late monarch in a post on X.
He had earlier met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. 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. Zelenskyy safely arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening after departing Moldova to attend the royal funeral service alongside world leaders and international dignitaries. “There was a drone threat in the airspace over Moldova yesterday, which delayed Zelenskyy’s flight on its way to Oslo. 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.
He was a monarch who, for over 35 years, embodied Norway – its openness, dignity, and respect for people.
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. 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. 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. Earlier reporting noted: A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky from Moldova to Oslo for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald was almost hit by a drone, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Wednesday.
“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. 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. The strikes against Russian infrastructure came as emergency crews were deployed across Ukraine following another wave of deadly Russian drone attacks targeting civilian infrastructure. His remarks came after talks in Kyiv with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. 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.
Thank you for the decisions that are helping us protect people and stand firm today. Earlier reporting noted: Zelensky arrived in Oslo on Tuesday evening, when he held talks with Store, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Norwegian military aid, including air-defence support, and civilian assistance.