Zelenskyy: Russia targeted his plane twice with drones in intimidation campaign

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed to CBS News this week that Russian drones have targeted his presidential aircraft twice in recent weeks, describing the attacks as part of a deliberate campaign to intimidate him and discourage international support for Ukraine.

The first incident occurred on September 9, when Zelenskyy's plane was nearly struck by a drone as it departed from Moldovan airspace en route to Oslo for a state visit to Norway. Days later, on his return journey through Moldova back to Ukraine, one or two additional drones entered Moldovan airspace in what Zelenskyy characterized as a second deliberate attack. Ukrainian officials confirmed that all members of the presidential delegation remained safe during both incidents, though the intentionality of the second encounter was initially unclear.

Zelenskyy told CBS News on Tuesday that these incidents were not random. He framed them as part of a broader Russian strategy designed to send a message—not only to him, but to foreign leaders considering visits to Ukraine or continued support for the country. "When we went back home, again through Chisinau, they did the same," he said, referring to Moldova's capital. The targeting of his plane while it sat in Moldovan airspace, he suggested, was itself a message to Moldova.

The drone attacks on Zelenskyy's movements came days after a more dramatic incident on Sunday, when a Russian drone struck a passenger train carrying a high-profile delegation of foreign visitors to Ukraine. The train was evacuated near the Polish border. Among those aboard were senior European officials and David Petraeus, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Zelenskyy told CBS News he believed the strike was intentional and targeted at the presence of American and European leaders. "Maybe they didn't know that some Americans had been there or maybe, oppositely, they knew, because I don't trust them," he said. "I think that they knew."

These incidents reflect a pattern of Russian drone activity that has grown increasingly brazen in recent months. Unidentified drones have been penetrating European airspace with greater frequency, prompting NATO responses. On Tuesday, Lithuanian military officials confirmed that NATO fighter jets shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace for the first time, according to reporting from The Associated Press. The escalation suggests that Russia is not merely targeting Ukrainian leadership and infrastructure, but testing the boundaries of NATO airspace and the resolve of Western nations to defend it.

The targeting of Zelenskyy's plane and the strike on the train carrying foreign dignitaries paint a picture of Russian strategy that extends beyond military objectives. By attacking or attempting to attack the Ukrainian president and foreign visitors, Russia appears to be sending a signal: supporting Ukraine carries risk, and those who do so may themselves become targets. Whether the attacks succeed in deterring international engagement remains to be seen, but the message is unmistakable.