Zelenskyy said there were two attempts to attack his plane in Moldova
Russia has twice in recent weeks attempted to attack with drones the plane in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was flying over Moldova. According to Zelenskyy, he considers these incidents part of Russia’s intimidation strategy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia has twice attempted to attack the plane on which he was flying through Moldovan airspace with drones in recent weeks. According to Zelenskyy, the first incident occurred while his presidential plane was flying over Chisinau. Another attempt, he said, took place a few days later, when the Ukrainian delegation was returning home via the same route. “My presidential plane was in Moldova, and that is precisely why they attacked Moldova. When we were returning home, again via Chisinau, they did the same thing,” Zelenskyy said.
The second attack had not been previously reported
Zelenskyy told reporters that during the return flight, one or two drones also entered Moldovan airspace. This incident had not been previously reported publicly. At the time, Ukrainian officials stated that all members of the presidential delegation were safe. However, it was unclear whether the drones were specifically linked to Zelenskyy’s plane or whether their appearance in Moldovan airspace was intentional.
Now, the President of Ukraine asserts that he considers these actions part of a Russian strategy. According to him, Russia may be attempting to intimidate not only him but also other foreign leaders who visit Ukraine or fly through the airspace of neighboring countries.
Earlier, another incident related to Zelenskyy’s flight over Moldova came to light. The Ukrainian president’s flight was delayed due to the appearance of a Russian drone in the country’s airspace. Moldova’s Ministry of Defense reported at the time that it was a Russian “Shahed.”
Drone Attacks Train Carrying Foreign Delegates
Zelenskyy also mentioned a recent attack on a passenger train carrying high-ranking foreign officials to Ukraine. A Russian drone struck the train on Sunday. Due to the attack, the foreign representatives had to be evacuated near the Polish border. Among the passengers were representatives of European countries and former CIA Director David Petraeus.
Zelenskyy suggested that the Russian side may have been aware of the foreign delegation’s presence on the train. “Perhaps they didn’t know there were Americans on board, or perhaps, on the contrary, they did know—because I don’t trust them. I think they knew,” the president said. According to him, it is particularly telling that the attack occurred at a time when the train was carrying a large group of European and American representatives. “That is precisely why they struck the train when a large delegation of Europeans and Americans was on board,” Zelenskyy stated.
Thus, the president links these incidents to a broader Russian tactic, which, in his assessment, may involve using drone attacks not only to strike military or civilian targets but also to pressure and intimidate people visiting Ukraine. The head of state spoke about this in an interview with CBS News.
