Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told CBS that Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace twice while his presidential aircraft transited through Chisinau. On Sept. 9 two drones were detected—one landed north of Chisinau and started a fire, the other continued into Romania, delaying his departure to Norway. Moldovan officials also reported two short incursions on Sept. 14. Separately, a drone hit a passenger train on the Ukraine-Poland border; no casualties were reported.
Zelenskiy Says Russian Drones Struck Moldovan Airspace Twice While His Plane Was in Transit
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives to welcome Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine September 6, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo
Sept 15 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told U.S. network CBS that Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace on two separate occasions while his presidential aircraft was in Chisinau airport during transit.
Zelenskiy said the incidents happened when his plane stopped in Moldova en route to a foreign trip and again on the return leg. He suggested the presence of his jet may have been a factor in the strikes.
"My presidential jet was in Moldova, and that's why they attacked Moldova, the airspace of Moldova. Maybe they didn't want to attack me personally..."
On Sept. 9, Moldovan authorities briefly closed the country's airspace ahead of Zelenskiy's departure for Norway after two Russian drones were detected. Officials said one drone landed in a field north of the capital, sparking a fire, while the other continued into Romanian airspace. Zelenskiy said he had not previously mentioned the second incursion.
Moldovan officials also reported that on Monday, Sept. 14, two additional drones entered Moldovan airspace for roughly 10 minutes each within about an hour before noon local time.
Separately, on Sunday a Russian drone struck a passenger train on the Ukraine-Poland border shortly after former British prime minister Boris Johnson and other European diplomats had used the same rail line. No casualties were reported in that incident.
Context: The events highlight growing regional concerns about drone activity near NATO borders and underscore the risks to civilian infrastructure and international transit routes. Reporting by Ron Popeski and Alexander Tanas in Chisinau; editing by David Gregorio.
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