Attack Drone Nearly Struck Zelensky’s Plane: Ukrainian Official
A Ukrainian official says a jet-powered Shahed-type attack drone came close to Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft in Moldova, prompting an airspace closure, heightened airport security and an investigation into whether the plane was targeted.
Choose Clash Report as a preferred source and see our reporting first in Top Stories.
A jet-powered attack drone came close to Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft as the Ukrainian president prepared to leave Moldova on Tuesday, according to a senior Ukrainian official traveling with him.
The official said the aircraft was not damaged and no casualties were reported. Ukrainian authorities are investigating whether the drone was deliberately directed towards Zelensky’s plane.
Near Miss Raises Targeting Questions
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on Wednesday that Zelensky’s “plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova.”
The Ukrainian official aboard the aircraft said they believed the drone was a Russian Shahed-type weapon fitted with a jet engine.
The official said it approached closely enough to raise the possibility that Zelensky’s aircraft had been targeted.
Støre did not specify the distance between the drone and the plane or say whether there was evidence of deliberate targeting.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zelensky was traveling to Norway to attend King Harald's funeral when the incident occurred.
Moldova Closes Airspace
Moldovan authorities suspended operations at Chișinău airport and temporarily closed the country’s airspace after detecting the drone.
A Moldovan government spokesperson said the closure began shortly after 4.30 pm on Tuesday following a violation by a Russian drone arriving from the direction of Ukraine.
At about 5.20 pm, the drone exploded near Mihăilenii Vechi in Moldova’s Rîșcani district, roughly 160km from Chișinău international airport, according to the spokesperson.
Zelensky’s aircraft later departed from Chișinău.
Drone Tracked Across Borders
Moldovan air traffic data and Ukrainian military tracking records indicated that a jet-powered attack drone crossed Ukraine’s border at about 4.20 pm local time and headed west towards Moldova.
It entered Romanian airspace at 4.38 pm. By 4.47 pm, tracking placed the drone about 70km inside Romania as it continued west.
The weapon returned to Moldovan airspace at 5.04 pm. Radar contact was lost about 10 minutes later.
The episode led to tighter security around Chișinău airport.
Ukrainian officials said Zelensky also offered the use of a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet to intercept the drone.
Jet-Powered Drones Add Pressure
Russia has increasingly deployed jet-powered drones alongside ballistic missiles in recent barrages, creating additional difficulties for Ukrainian air defenses.
Tuesday’s incident also underscored the spillover risks for neighboring states and civilian aviation as drones and missiles cross into EU and Nato airspace during attacks on Ukraine.
The episode followed visits by Donald Trump’s special envoys to Moscow and Kyiv aimed at reviving peace negotiations that stalled after the start of the U.S. war in Iran.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
Choose Clash Report as a preferred source and see our reporting first in Top Stories.