Russian Drone Incursion Delays Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Flight from Moldova to Norway

A plane carrying Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed at Gardermoen, Norway, on September 8, 2026, in connection with King Harald's funeral on Wednesday. Over 150 flights with royal guests, heads of state and VIPs were expected for the event.

A Russian drone entering Moldova’s airspace delayed the departure of a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Norway on Tuesday, a Moldovan official reported. The eastern European country, which shares a border with Ukraine, temporarily closed its airspace following the detection of a jet-propelled drone.

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft remained grounded at Chișinău International Airport in the Moldovan capital until authorities confirmed the drone had come down. The device ultimately exploded approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) away from the airport, according to the Associated Press.

Vladislav Kulminski, Moldova’s ambassador to the US, stated in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto that the timing of the incident was likely intentional rather than accidental. He noted that the airspace violation coincided with the Ukrainian president's presence at the airport, adding that investigations are ongoing to determine if the aircraft was specifically targeted.

Norwegian Prime Minister Gahr Støre was the first to publicly disclose the security threat, telling public broadcaster NRK that the Ukrainian leader's plane was nearly impacted just before takeoff. Moldovan President Maia Sandu strongly condemned the airspace incursions as a severe danger to public safety, following a separate drone strike at a border crossing that resulted in two fatalities.

Following the events in Europe, President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled onward to Canada, where scheduled meetings with Prime Minister Mark Carney and cabinet members were arranged to last through Friday.