Zelenskyy’s plane almost hit by drone en route to Norway king’s funeral, prime minister says

A plane carrying Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from Moldova to Oslo for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V was almost hit by a drone, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Wednesday.

“His flight was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he lives in,” Store told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

He provided no other details about the incident.

A source in the Ukrainian presidency offered a more nuanced account, telling AFP: “It was an alert in Moldova when a Russian (drone) entered Moldovan and Romanian airspace.”

The source described as “exaggerated” the claim that Zelenskyy was at risk.

The Ukrainian leader 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 defense support, and civilian assistance.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy joined a host of other foreign dignitaries for the funeral of Harald, who died on Aug. 28 at the age of 89.

Also present were the heir to the British throne, Prince William, and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino, as well as political leaders from more than 20 countries.

Zelenskyy left Norway after the funeral for Canada and talks with leaders there, Store told NRK.