Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Getty Images]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Getty Images]

A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nearly came under drone attack as it was taking off, Norway's prime minister said.

According to Reuters, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told public broadcaster NRK on Wednesday (local time) that the plane carrying Zelensky to Norway nearly came under drone attack. It happened the moment the plane was about to take off from Moldova that day. "This is the reality he faces," Store said, Yonhap reported.

Store did not specify where the information came from or how close the drone came at the time. Moldovan authorities also offered no response to Store's remarks.

According to data from flight-tracking site Flightradar24, several flights bound for Chisinau that day were shown either landing at airports outside Moldova or circling in midair.

Reuters reported that one of the drones that violated Moldovan airspace Wednesday crashed into a field and sparked a fire, while another continued flying on into Romanian airspace.

On Tuesday, two drones launched from Russia also entered Moldovan airspace, briefly halting takeoffs and landings at the airport in the capital, Chisinau.

Norway, which shares land and maritime borders with Russia, is considered one of Ukraine's strongest backers in Europe.

Zelensky arrived in Oslo on Wednesday to attend the funeral of Norwegian King Harald V held that day. He met with Store and other senior Norwegian officials to discuss military support for Ukraine, including air defense assistance.

Store said Zelensky left Oslo for Canada after the funeral concluded.

World leaders, European royalty turn out in force

Meanwhile, according to foreign media including Euronews, King Harald V's funeral was held in Oslo that afternoon before tens of thousands of mourners, Yonhap reported. It came 12 days after he died Aug. 28 at age 89.

Britain's Prince William and Spain's King Felipe VI and his wife attended, along with royals from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Monaco. World leaders present included Zelensky, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

In his eulogy, Store said, "Harald V struck a balance between dignity and modesty. He made Norway a greater nation." He added that Harald V spoke of the Norwegian "we," in which everyone looks out for one another.

After a candle-lighting ceremony led by representatives of various faiths, Harald V's coffin was moved to the royal chapel at Akershus Fortress, a medieval site near Oslo. Following a private family ceremony, the coffin was laid in the underground royal burial vault, formally bringing to a close roughly two weeks of mourning.


yul@heraldcorp.com