Russian drone incursion delayed Zelensky’s departure from Moldova

By Caitlin Danaher and Todd Symons, CNN

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 said.

The eastern European country, which borders Ukraine, closed its airspace after detecting an incursion of a jet-propelled drone, officials said.

Zelensky’s aircraft was waiting at Chișinău International Airport in the Moldovan capital and was cleared for take-off once it had been established the drone had come down. It exploded some 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the airport, the Associated Press reported.

Moldova’s ambassador to the US, Vladislav Kulminski, told CNN’s Jim Sciutto the incident was likely “not an accident.”

“We do not believe in jet propelled drones just flying into Moldova’s territory for surveillance purposes while [the] Ukrainian president’s airplane is on the ground at the airport,” Kulminski told CNN.

Asked whether Moldovan authorities believe the drone was targeting the Ukrainian president, he said an investigation was ongoing and it was “too early to say.” However, he added that it is well known that Zelensky uses Moldovan airspace for his foreign visits and “this is probably not the first time that something like this happened.”

The Kremlin has not commented.

Zelensky was making his way to Norway for the funeral of King Harald V, where he joined other heads of state marching behind the late monarch’s coffin in a procession though the capital Oslo.

It was Norwegian Prime Minister Gahr Støre who brought the drone incident to light.

“His plane was almost hit by a drone as it was about to take off from Moldova. That is the reality he is facing,” Støre told public broadcaster NRK, according to Reuters.

A second drone crossed into Moldovan airspace on Tuesday, officials said, but carried on to travel over Romania. Russian drones have routinely entered the airspace of both nations during Moscow’s more than four-year -long war on Ukraine.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu denounced the drone intrusions as a “serious threat to people’s lives.” He also condemned a Russian drone attack on a border crossing with Ukraine on Tuesday that killed two people.

Zelensky traveled to Canada on Wednesday, where he will address the cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to a statement from Carney’s office.

The Ukrainian leader and First Lady Olena Zelenska will be in Canada until Friday.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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CNN’s Jim Scuitto and Paula Newton contributed reporting.