Russia attacked Moldova twice because Zelensky was there, he says

Russia intentionally attacked Moldova with drones when President Volodymyr Zelensky was traveling through the country, he said in an interview with CBS News published on Sept. 15.

"So in Moldova, my presidential jet was there, and that's why they attacked Moldova," Zelensky said.

He added that it's possible Russia did not want to attack him "personally" and agreed, when asked, that Russia may have wanted to scare him.

On Sept. 9, an unnamed source told the Kyiv Independent that a suspected Russian Shahed-type drone that violated Moldovan and Romanian airspace on Sept. 8 nearly hit Zelensky's plane as it was departing from Moldova.

Zelensky was on his way to Norway to meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store ahead of the funeral of King Harald V.

"His plane was nearly hit by a drone as it was taking off from Moldova. This is the reality he faces," Store told the Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Zelensky then traveled to Iceland and Canada, where he signed a 100-year partnership with Ottawa before returning to Ukraine via Moldova.

"We didn't share it with media. Yes, but when we went back home, again, through Chisinau, they did the same... I don't trust them. I think that they knew," Zelensky said.

He also said that an energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 14 is not in effect, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not respond to weakness.

"No. Putin doesn't respect, doesn't see, and will not even think (about) how to negotiate with weak people. That's why we respond. We never attack first," Zelensky said.