Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre revealed the details of an incident that nearly turned into a disaster during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Oslo, in an interview with the NRK broadcaster. According to the Norwegian PM, the Ukrainian leader's aircraft was put at risk right at the moment of takeoff after departing from Moldova. "His plane was nearly hit by a drone during takeoff from Moldova. That is the reality he faces every day," Støre stated. The Prime Minister's office clarified that a threat was detected in Moldovan airspace due to the presence of an enemy drone, which led to the flight being delayed.
Incident during takeoff and response at the border
According to the Norwegian side, the threat arose at the moment when the aircraft carrying Zelensky was already in the takeoff phase. This required immediate security measures: due to the risk in the air, the departure had to be delayed, and the Starkozaiche border crossing was temporarily closed. The dramatic circumstances of the flight were also mentioned by Norwegian Minister of Finance Jens Stoltenberg, who reported that the Ukrainian president personally shared details of the difficult journey during his meeting in Oslo.
Confirmation from Moldova
The Ministry of Defense of Moldova confirmed that the country's airspace was indeed violated during the takeoff of Zelensky's aircraft. Thus, the Norwegian PM's statement about the presence of a drone in the takeoff zone was corroborated at the level of the official structures of the neighboring state. Despite the security risks, the Ukrainian leader arrived in Oslo to attend the funeral of King Harald V and hold a series of negotiations with the Norwegian government.
Contradictory data
Publications by different media outlets show a difference in emphasis in describing the incident. Some sources, citing Støre's words, frame the event as a direct threat: the drone "nearly shot down" or "nearly hit" the plane during takeoff. At the same time, the Norwegian Prime Minister's office and Moldova's Ministry of Defense use more restrained terminology — "a threat was detected due to the presence of a drone" and "a violation of airspace" — which led to the flight being delayed and the crossing being closed. In other words, what is confirmed at the official level is the fact of the airspace violation and the delay of the departure, while the detail about the drone's immediate proximity to the aircraft is conveyed primarily through the statement of the Norwegian PM.
Visit to Oslo and the Freya air defense project
Despite the incident, Zelensky carried out a working program in Norway. The two sides focused on developing the joint Freya air defense project, which is intended to become a cheaper and more effective alternative to Patriot systems. According to Støre, the Norwegian defense industry is already working on solutions that will allow Ukraine to build air defense systems independently and close the "holes in the roof."
Support package for 2027
Oslo continues to be one of Kyiv's key partners, describing support for Ukraine as an investment in the security of all of Europe. During the visit, the Norwegian government announced a new large-scale aid package for Ukraine for 2027, which will be comparable in scale to the support provided this year. The drone incident, in essence, became a vivid illustration of the threats against which this joint defense architecture is being built.
