Zelenskyy’s Moldova takeoff drone near‑miss prompts Norway aid talks ahead of Oslo funeral
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left Moldova for Oslo, where he attended King Harald V’s funeral. A drone came close to his aircraft during takeoff, a near‑miss. After landing, Zelenskyy met Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and held discussions with Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide about additional Norwegian military assistance, including air‑defence systems, and civilian support. He then joined a gathering of foreign dignitaries at the funeral. The incident is described as a near‑miss, with differing accounts of the drone’s movements.
How this was covered
- Left-leaning outlets covered this 5h later
- Coverage peaked at 16 outlets in a single hour
Why it matters
The episode highlights the security threats faced by high‑profile leaders and underscores Norway’s diplomatic and defence support for Ukraine.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTAll camps report the Norwegian prime minister’s claim that a drone almost hit Zelenskyy’s plane, but left-leaning coverage stresses the Ukrainian presidency’s view that the danger was overstated, while right-leaning coverage highlights the subsequent talks on Norwegian air-defence aid.
LEFT
Frames the incident as potentially exaggerated, noting the Ukrainian presidency’s clarification that the risk was overstated.
CENTER
Frames the event as a factual security incident that delayed the flight, quoting the prime minister’s statement without additional commentary.
RIGHT
Frames the near-miss as a backdrop for Zelenskyy’s diplomatic push for more Norwegian air-defence assistance.
The left emphasises
- “His plane was almost hit by a drone… That is his reality,” Støre said
- Ukrainian presidency clarified the alert involved a Russian drone and suggested the risk was overstated
The right emphasises
- Zelenskyy met Store to discuss further Norwegian military assistance, including air-defence systems
- the visit underscores Ukraine’s diplomatic outreach to secure essential defence resources
How this story developed
- Aug 14 Russia claims strikes on Ukrainian rail hub and vessels as drones hit Russian ports
- Sep 9 Ukrainian drones also struck the Russian Black Sea naval base in Novorossisk.
- Sep 9 Putin said capture of the entire eastern Donbass is only a matter of time.
- Sep 9 Russian drones hit two districts of Kyiv on Sept. 9, injuring nine people and igniting fires in a high-rise building and a warehouse.
- Sep 9 Russian drones hit a border crossing in Ukraine’s Odesa region, killing two civilians, and set fire to a building in Kyiv.
- Sep 9 Norway's prime minister said a drone came close to hitting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's aircraft as it took off from Moldova en route to King Harald V's funeral in Oslo.
- Sep 10 Zelenskyy met Norwegian leaders in Oslo to discuss further military aid after the drone near‑miss.
- Sep 10 Zelensky called for European and U.S. leaders to take a stronger negotiating role and said Ukraine is ready to make concessions.
- Sep 10 A drone strike in Sumy added three deaths and two injuries to the day's casualties.
- Sep 10 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is hopeful U.S.-backed Ukraine peace talks will restart soon.
- Sep 10 Pavlohrad shopping centre was hit by Russian shelling, igniting fires and causing civilian casualties.
- Sep 11 Sea drones detonated on the Sochi promenade, injuring civilians and prompting evacuations.
- Sep 11 Russian missiles hit a Kyiv nine‑storey residential building, injuring two people.
- Sep 11 Russia has deployed the new “Web” shield to safeguard energy infrastructure.
Related stories
55 in this thread