Norwegian PM says drone nearly struck Zelenskyy’s plane in Moldova; Ukraine and Moldova play down claim

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told national broadcaster NRK on September 10 that the plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “was nearly hit by a drone” after taking off from Moldova on its way to Oslo. France 24 reported that both Ukraine and Moldova promptly played down the claim later that day.

According to France 24, a source in the Ukrainian president’s office described the suggestion that Zelenskyy had been in danger as “an exaggeration.” Moldovan authorities likewise played down the account but offered no specific explanation.

At least three central questions about the incident remain independently unverified: whether a drone actually came close to Zelenskyy’s plane, who owned and launched it, and what evidence led Støre to make the statement publicly. The information gap between the Norwegian prime minister’s account of a “near hit” and the directly involved parties’ response that it was “an exaggeration” is itself a fact that warrants scrutiny.