Zelenskyy Plane Nearly Hit By Drone Before Norwegian King’s Funeral

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

OSLO/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – A plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was nearly hit by a drone while leaving Moldova for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Wednesday, underscoring the dangers facing the wartime leader as Russia intensifies aerial attacks across Ukraine and beyond.

“His flight was almost hit by a drone when it was taking off from Moldova. That is the reality he lives in,” Støre told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

The prime minister did not say how close the drone came to Zelenskyy’s aircraft or provide further details about the incident.

However, arrivals and departures at Moldova’s Chișinău International Airport were temporarily suspended Tuesday after two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace. One came down in a field and sparked a fire, while another continued into neighboring NATO member Romania.

Zelenskyy traveled from Moldova to Oslo, where he joined European royalty and world leaders Wednesday for the state funeral of King Harald V.

KING HARALD LAID TO REST

Harald died peacefully at Oslo University Hospital on August 28 at the age of 89 after being hospitalized with a bacterial infection in his blood. He had suffered several health problems in recent years.

He had reigned since 1991 and was widely credited with modernizing Norway’s monarchy and promoting tolerance and national unity, including after the 2011 terrorist attacks that killed 77 people in Oslo and on Utøya island.

Amid tight security, tens of thousands of people lined Oslo’s streets as Harald’s coffin moved slowly toward the city’s Lutheran cathedral, with cannon fire sounding from the nearby Akershus Fortress. Mourners fell silent as the coffin passed.

European royal families turned out in force. The Netherlands was represented by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, Princess Beatrix and Crown Princess Amalia. Willem-Alexander, Máxima and Amalia walked in the funeral procession, while Beatrix attended the service at Oslo Cathedral.

Other royal mourners included members of the royal families of Britain, Japan, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco and Jordan.

WORLD LEADERS ATTEND OSLO FUNERAL

Political leaders and heads of state were also among the dignitaries, including the presidents of Germany and Finland, France’s prime minister and Zelenskyy.

The United States was represented by Allison Hooker, under secretary of state for political affairs, according to the Norwegian government.

People gathered outside applauded Zelenskyy as he left the cathedral after the funeral service.

As Ukraine’s war effort continued, Zelenskyy joined other world leaders at Harald’s funeral, held at a difficult time for Norway’s royal family.

His presence followed talks Tuesday evening with Støre, Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide about Norwegian military and civilian assistance to Ukraine, particularly Kyiv’s increasingly urgent need for air defenses.

UKRAINE SEEKS MORE AIR DEFENSE

Støre said he had asked Zelenskyy how his night had been.

“He said it had not been a good night because he had been on the phone receiving updates about where the missiles had struck,” the Norwegian leader recalled. “It is a very dramatic situation. It makes a strong impression.”

Russia resumed major drone and missile attacks on Kyiv this week following a brief halt surrounding visits by U.S. peace negotiators to Moscow and the Ukrainian capital.

Five people were killed in Kyiv on Tuesday, while additional fatalities were reported elsewhere in Ukraine. Russian attacks continued Wednesday, including a drone strike on a border crossing near Moldova that killed two civilians and injured three others.

Zelenskyy and Støre also discussed efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses as Kyiv seeks more interceptor missiles and other systems from its Western allies.

NORWAY’S ROYAL FAMILY FACES TROUBLES

Støre acknowledged that work remains to provide Ukraine with additional protection.

“To put it simply, they have holes in the roof,” he told NRK.

Harald’s funeral came at a difficult time for Norway’s royal family.

His son succeeded him as King Haakon VIII, with Haakon’s wife, Queen Mette-Marit, 53, attending Wednesday’s funeral while recovering from a lung transplant she underwent in June.

Her son from a previous relationship, Marius Borg Høiby, also attended despite being under house arrest and wearing an electronic ankle monitor following his conviction for rape and domestic violence. He is appealing his sentence.

SUPPORT FOR NORWAY MONARCHY REMAINS STRONG

Høiby had been among the pallbearers when Harald’s coffin was transferred to the royal chapel on August 31, drawing criticism in Norway and abroad.

Despite the controversies surrounding the royal family, support for the monarchy remains strong. A Norstat poll for broadcaster NRK published September 1 found that 72 percent of respondents backed the institution.

After Wednesday’s cathedral service, four Norwegian F-35 fighter jets flew overhead, with one breaking away from the formation to symbolically mark the king’s passing.

A smaller procession, moving to the rhythm of Frédéric Chopin’s Funeral March, accompanied Harald’s coffin to the royal crypt at Akershus Fortress overlooking Oslo harbor.

There, Harald’s coffin was placed in a sarcophagus alongside those of his parents.

NORWAY ENDS NATIONAL MOURNING

When King Haakon emerged from the crypt, Norway’s national mourning period formally ended. Flags that had flown at half-staff since Harald’s death were raised again, while church bells rang across Norway for an hour.

Haakon, Mette-Marit and other members of the royal family later appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace, where crowds applauded and cheered.

Zelenskyy left Norway shortly after the funeral as the Ukrainian president continued diplomatic efforts to secure additional international support against Russia’s intensifying aerial campaign.