A flight carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Norway was delayed after Moldova closed its airspace due to a drone incursion, a government spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The closure on Tuesday afternoon led to the delay of three departures, including Zelenskyy's.
Moldovan police reported that a Russian drone crashed in a sunflower field in the Riscani district on Tuesday, causing four fires but no injuries. The drone came down and exploded approximately 100 miles from Chișinău International Airport. Authorities have since lifted the airspace restrictions.
Explosives experts examining fragments of the drone found a propulsion system and characteristics similar to Geran-type drones, which have been used by Russia in its war in Ukraine. Investigations are ongoing to determine the type and mass of the explosive payload.
The drone that entered Moldovan airspace on Tuesday reportedly crossed into neighboring Romania, a NATO member, where it was tracked. Spanish Air and Space Forces deployed two F-18 aircraft to monitor its trajectory before it reentered Moldovan airspace.
Both Moldova and neighboring Ukraine have reported numerous drone incidents since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.