Zelenskyy says Russian drones targeted his presidential jet twice in recent weeks, in Moldova and on his return to Ukraine, calling it an attempt to intimidate foreign leaders.
The second incident had not previously been reported.
Zelenskyy said one or two drones entered Moldovan airspace during the return journey. Ukrainian officials had said at the time that members of the presidential delegation were safe, but it was unclear whether the incident was intentional. The first incident had been publicly disclosed earlier by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who said Zelenskyy’s plane was “almost hit” by a drone while flying through Moldovan airspace on September 9, as the Ukrainian president travelled to Oslo. Zelenskyy said he believed Russia may have known that Americans and Europeans were aboard the train. Unidentified drones, some of which have been traced to Russia, have increasingly entered the airspace of European countries bordering Ukraine and Russia, according to CBS News. Two people suffered minor injuries and were treated for abrasions, while two Romanian F-16s were scrambled after the drone was detected, according to Romanian authorities.
Russian drones had reportedly targeted the plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice in recent weeks, with the Ukrainian leader telling CBS News that the incidents were part of Moscow’s efforts to intimidate him and other foreign leaders. He added that the incident reflected the reality of the threats Zelenskyy faces. In an exclusive interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said his presidential jet was targeted while he was travelling through Moldova and again when he was returning to Ukraine a few days later.