The President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelenski, left for London on Wednesday. The leader from Kiev did not use the Chisinau airport as a transit route, as he had done for several months.
This time, the official has left for the United Kingdom from Poland, writes realitatea.md. It is the first time, after a long break, that the Ukrainian presidential delegation is using the logistical hub in Rzeszów again for foreign trips.
The change of route takes place after the relations between Kiev and Warsaw were strained at the end of May and the beginning of June. At that time, the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, decided to withdraw the Order of the White Eagle from Zelenski, in connection with the naming of a unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in honor of the heroes of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). In response, the Ukrainian leader would have returned the distinction to the Polish side by mail.
After this diplomatic conflict, Zelensky would have changed the routes used for foreign visits, resorting to Chisinau International Airport. However, the transit of the Ukrainian delegation through the Republic of Moldova was also associated with security risks.
At the beginning of September 2026, the departure of the presidential plane from Chisinau International Airport, during a visit by Zelenski to Norway, was temporarily delayed. The Ukrainian leader reported at the time that the aircraft was nearly hit by a drone.
The authorities in Chisinau have confirmed the flight delay due to security reasons, but they clarified that, at the time of the incident, Zelenski’s plane was on the ground.