On September 8, 2026, a Russian jet-powered drone violated Moldova's airspace, leading to the temporary closure of airports and a delay in the departure of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Norway. According to the assessment of Moldova's ambassador to the US, Vladyslav Kulminskyi, the incident was most likely not accidental: the diplomat suggested that the drone may have been deliberately directed toward the presidential aircraft. As RBC-Ukraine reports, citing CNN, the Moldovan government does not consider what happened a coincidence.

Statement by Moldova's ambassador to the US

Vladyslav Kulminskyi emphasized that it is extremely difficult to believe in the accidental flight of a Russian jet-powered drone over the country's territory at precisely the moment when the Ukrainian president's plane was at the airport. "Most likely, this is not a coincidence, because we do not believe that a jet-powered drone simply flew into Moldova's airspace for reconnaissance at exactly the time when the President of Ukraine's plane was on the ground at the airport," the diplomat stated. At the same time, he clarified that it is too early to draw final conclusions, as the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

How Zelensky's departure was delayed

The Moldovan government confirmed that the Ukrainian president's departure from the country to Norway on September 8 was delayed due to a Russian drone in the airspace. In Chisinau, they explained that the airspace had to be temporarily closed during this period because of the appearance of the drone, so Zelensky's departure to Oslo was postponed. Clearance for takeoff was granted after it became known that the drone had crashed and exploded near the village of Starî Mihaileni in Rîșcani District — approximately 160 km from Chisinau International Airport. In total, due to the air alert, three departing flights and four arriving flights were delayed at the airport.

Oslo's reaction

The first to report on the incident involving Zelensky's plane en route to Norway was the country's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. "His plane was nearly shot down by a drone while taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he has faced," the head of the Norwegian government stated. Experts, assessing the trajectory, also note that the Russian drone remained in the air for about an hour, flying over the territory of Moldova and Romania, which complicates the picture and requires detailed analysis of the route.

Contradictory data

There are notable discrepancies between the versions presented by the parties. According to Moldova's ambassador, at the time the drone was in the air, the Ukrainian president's plane "was on the ground at the airport," meaning the departure was delayed until it crashed. Meanwhile, the Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that the plane "was nearly shot down by a drone during takeoff." These formulations are not identical: in one version the aircraft had not yet left the runway, while in the other it was in the takeoff phase. Moreover, the claim that the drone was deliberately aimed at the presidential aircraft is an assessment by Moldova's ambassador and has not been confirmed by independent technical findings; the official position of Chisinau is limited to stating that the incident "is not considered accidental," and the investigation is ongoing. Finally, data on the drone's hour-long flight over Moldova and Romania indicates an extended trajectory that has not yet been definitively linked to the moment of the departure delay.

Investigation and context

At the time of publication, no final conclusions have been drawn regarding the incident: the investigation is ongoing, and the version that the drone was deliberately aimed at Zelensky's plane remains a statement by the diplomat, not an established fact. The confirmed circumstances are the violation of Moldova's airspace, the temporary closure of airports, the delay of several flights, and the crash of the drone in Rîșcani District near the village of Starî Mihaileni. Only the completion of the official investigation can provide further clarity.