Zelenskyy’s Plane ‘Almost Hit’ by Drone as Moldova Briefly Shuts Airspace

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s aircraft was almost struck by a drone shortly after taking off from Chișinău, Moldova, Reuters reported, corroborated by the BBC and CNN. Moldova closed its airspace for roughly an hour after two Russian drones entered its territory, with one crashing in a field approximately 160 kilometers away. Moldovan officials did not confirm the “near miss” characterization of the incident.

Why it matters: The incident illustrates how drone incursions linked to the war in Ukraine continue to create direct, unpredictable aviation-safety risk for civilian and diplomatic air traffic well beyond the immediate conflict zone, reinforcing why neighboring states have been rapidly expanding airspace-monitoring and counter-UAS capability at commercial and diplomatic airports.

Source: Reuters, September 9, 2026, corroborated by BBC and CNN.