A Russian drone entering Moldovan airspace delayed a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena as they prepared to leave Chisinau for Norway. Moldova temporarily closed its airspace after the unmanned aircraft crossed the border from the direction of Ukraine, leaving Zelensky’s aircraft on the runway for about an hour. Several other flights were also affected.

The flight was cleared to depart after authorities confirmed that the drone had come down and exploded about 160km from Chisinau International Airport. Zelensky and Olena later arrived safely in Oslo, where the Ukrainian president held talks with Norwegian officials on military support before attending the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V.

The incident comes as Russian drone attacks on Ukraine and surrounding areas intensify. Kyiv has experienced record levels of air-raid alerts, while a recent attack on a Moldovan border crossing killed two people. Ukraine has also carried out long-range drone strikes inside Russia, highlighting the escalating use of unmanned aircraft in the ongoing conflict.

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