Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Chisinau, Moldova. File
| Photo Credit: AP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview broadcast on Tuesday (September 15, 2026) that Russian drones attacked Moldovan airspace twice while he was in the country aboard his aircraft in transit.
Mr. Zelenskyy told the U.S. 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…,” Mr. Zelenskyy said. “When we came back home, again through Chisinau, again they did the same.”
On September 9, a Moldovan government spokesperson said the departure of Mr. Zelenskyy’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.
Mr. Zelenskyy 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 Monday (September 14, 2026) for about 10 minutes each over the space of an hour before noon local time.
Published – September 16, 2026 03:30 am IST
