Zelenskyy Claims Russia Targeted His Plane in Moldova

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Russian drones targeted his presidential aircraft on two separate occasions while it was in transit at Chisinau airport in Moldova. The first incident occurred on September 9 during his departure for Norway, and the second took place on September 14 as he returned from Canada. Zelenskyy suggested the incursions were intended to intimidate him and foreign officials, though he noted the drones may not have been attempting to attack him personally.

These claims contradict other reports indicating a drone was detected and exploded 160 kilometers from the airport, posing no direct threat. A source within the Ukrainian presidency told AFP that the risk to the president was exaggerated. Russian President Vladimir Putin denied the allegations, stating that Russia does not carry out such strikes against senior officials.

Zelenskyy linked these events to a broader Russian strategy of targeting transportation. On September 13, a Russian drone struck a passenger train near Yahodyn carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former CIA Director David Petraeus, though no casualties were reported. On September 16, Russian drones struck a passenger minibus in the Nikopol district, killing five people and wounding seven. Additional strikes targeted a passenger train in the Mykolaiv region and a locomotive in Kovel. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described these attacks as a systematic hunt to paralyze civilian life.