Vladimir Zelensky told CBS News that drones had allegedly tried to attack his aircraft twice while he was traveling through Moldova. According to his account, the first incident occurred as he was leaving for Europe, while the second happened on his way back from Canada via Kishinev. Zelensky described both episodes as attempts to intimidate him.

One of the incidents had already drawn attention on September 9, when Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Zelensky’s plane had nearly collided with a drone while departing Moldova. The Ukrainian leader was heading to Norway for the farewell to King Harald v. Moldovan authorities later rejected the claim that the aircraft had faced an immediate threat. According to their account, Zelensky’s plane was still on the ground when the drone was detected, roughly 160 kilometers away.

Reserve Colonel and special military operation participant Timur Syrtlanov questioned Zelensky’s version of events. Speaking to aif.ru, he argued that repeated claims about threats to the presidential aircraft were intended to help the Ukrainian leader remain in power. Syrtlanov also accused Zelensky of being ready to resort to provocations for that purpose and said there was no reason to trust his statements.

Syrtlanov also said Zelensky’s presidential term had expired in 2024 and accused him of continuing to cling to power.

The officer raised another possible scenario involving Zelensky’s Western backers. Against the backdrop of corruption scandals in Ukraine, Syrtlanov said they could attempt to organize an assassination, adding that members of the country’s senior leadership could face anything from poisoning to an accident.

Syrtlanov also dismissed the idea that Russian forces were actually trying to destroy Zelensky’s plane. He said that if such a target had genuinely been assigned, the mission would have been carried out accurately and on time. He pointed to the use of Russia’s Aerospace Forces as well as air- and sea-based drones against designated targets across Ukraine.