Ukraine’s Zelensky says Russian drones attacked Moldova twice while he was in transit
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was in Moldova on his way to and from a trip abroad when the incidents occurred.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Ukrainian President Zelensky revealed that Russian drones attacked Moldovan airspace twice while his presidential jet was transiting through Chisinau airport.
- On Sept 9 and Sept 14, Russian drones entered Moldova’s airspace, with one causing a fire north of the capital and another crossing into Romania.
- These attacks coincided with regional tensions, including a Russian drone strike on a train near the Ukraine-Poland border shortly after European diplomats had travelled that route.
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KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview broadcast on Sept 15 that Russian drones attacked Moldovan airspace twice while he was in the country aboard his aircraft in transit.
Zelensky told the US television network CBS that he was in Moldova on Ukraine’s western border, at Chisinau airport, on his way to and from a trip abroad when the incidents occurred.
“In Moldova, my presidential jet was there and that’s why they attacked Moldova, the airspace of Moldova. Maybe they didn’t want to attack me personally...,” Zelensky said.
“When we came back home, again through Chisinau, again they did the same.”
On Sept 9, a Moldovan government spokesperson said the departure of Zelensky’s aircraft for Norway was delayed as Moldovan authorities closed the country’s airspace over a drone alert.
Two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace on that day.
One landed in a field north of the capital, triggering a fire, while the second carried on into Romanian airspace.
Zelensky had not previously spoken of the second incident.
It was not clear exactly when the president was again in transit in Moldova on his way back to Ukraine from Canada.
Moldovan authorities said two drones entered the country’s airspace on Sept 14 for about 10 minutes each over the space of an hour before noon local time.
On Sept 13, a Russian drone hit a passenger train on Ukraine’s border with NATO member Poland, shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other European diplomats had used the same line.
No casualties were reported. REUTERS