Moldova says Zelensky’s plane was cleared for takeoff after Russian drone confirmed downed

The Republic of Moldova postponed the takeoff of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's plane during an alert caused by a Russian drone, and the flight was authorized after confirmation that it had fallen, according to explanations from the authorities in Chișinău. The restrictions were intended to protect aircraft and delayed three departures and four arrivals.

In brief

The airspace was temporarily closed after the drone entered from the direction of Ukraine. The measure affected both departures and arrivals, and Zelenskyy's plane took off later than scheduled.

According to Moldovan officials, the restrictions were lifted after confirmation that the drone had fallen and exploded near Mihăilenii Vechi, in Rîșcani District, approximately 160 kilometers from Chișinău Airport.

Presidential adviser Olga Roșca stated that authorization for takeoffs and landings, including that of the Ukrainian president's flight, was conditional on confirmation that the drone had fallen.

This explanation concerns the time when flights resumed; it does not establish the minimum distance between the drone and the plane before the drone fell.

According to Moldovan officials, the airspace was closed shortly after 16:30 local time, after the drone had entered from the direction of Ukraine. The restrictions were lifted after 17:20, when the authorities confirmed that the aircraft had fallen and exploded in the north of the country. The Ukrainian president's plane subsequently departed from Chișinău International Airport.

Olga Roșca, the adviser to the President of the Republic of Moldova on foreign policy, explained in a post on X that the closure of the airspace was intended to protect aircraft flying over the country. “Flights, including that of President Zelenskyy, were given approval to take off or land only after it was confirmed that the drone had fallen,” she wrote.

The explanation describes a measure applied to air traffic affected by the alert, which also included the presidential flight. The three delayed departures and four delayed arrivals show that the effects of the suspension extended to several flights, without the available information specifying the duration of each delay.

The clarification came after Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that the plane had nearly been hit by a drone before takeoff. Reuters reported that he did not specify the source of the information or how close the drone may have been.

The Financial Times also quotes a Ukrainian official who was on board, claiming that the drone came dangerously close and could have been targeting the plane. The publication reports that Ukrainian authorities are investigating the incident; the hypothesis of deliberate targeting remains an assertion by the source.

The incident occurred on September 8. The approximately 160-kilometer distance communicated by the Moldovan side concerns the crash site relative to the airport, not the drone's closest approach to the plane along the entire route. Confirmation that the drone had fallen before takeoff was authorized explains the safety measure applied to the flight, but does not by itself resolve this question.