Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store revealed that the plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was nearly struck by a drone during its departure from Moldova en route to Oslo. The aircraft arrived in the Norwegian capital on Tuesday evening for the funeral of King Harald V.
Speaking to public broadcaster NRK on Wednesday, Store confirmed the incident but did not disclose the proximity of the drone or the origin of the intelligence. “His flight was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova,” Store said. “That is the reality he lives in,” he added, referring to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia that began in February 2022.
During his visit to Oslo, Zelenskyy held bilateral talks with Store and met with executives from the defense industry. The discussions centered on advancing FREYJA, a European anti-ballistic missile system. According to a social media post by the Ukrainian president, the meeting aimed to delineate responsibilities between governments and defense contractors and agree on steps to achieve tangible results from the initiative.
“We expect to see the first practical results. I am grateful to Norway for hosting this meeting. I thank our partners for their readiness to work together. Protecting Europe’s skies is our shared responsibility,” Zelenskyy said.
The diplomatic visit occurred against a backdrop of continued violence in the region. Ukrainian regional officials reported that Russian attacks on Wednesday killed at least eight people, including casualties along the border with Moldova and in the country’s southeast.
Is FREYJA actually ready for deployment? Seems like talk-heavy meetings are still the norm while people die daily.
The fact that Zelenskyy can’t even take off safely shows how brutal this war has become. Hope he stays safe in Norway.