Unidentified drones breach Irish airspace on Zelenskyy visit

As first reported by The Journal, Irish security services are examining a significant drone incursion that occurred during the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.

According to the outlet, four large drones of military specification entered a restricted zone late on Monday night and flew close to the flight path of the visiting aircraft.

The drones reportedly reached the point where Zelenskyy’s plane had been expected to pass and then shifted toward the LÉ William Butler Yeats, a Naval Service vessel covertly deployed in the Irish Sea for the visit. The Journal noted that the drones remained within twelve nautical miles of the Irish coast, placing them squarely inside Irish controlled waters.

Security sources cited by The Journal described the drones as large, expensive, and consistent with state level capability. The outlet reported that the incident is being assessed as a potential hybrid attack, a form of coercive activity that uses military and non military tools to weaken or disrupt a target without triggering open conflict.

A decision was taken not to shoot down the drones. According to The Journal, the LÉ William Butler Yeats lacked the systems required to disable or intercept them, and handheld drone disruption gear available to Gardaí was out of range. The vessel has no radar system suited to counter unmanned aircraft, leaving only machine guns as a theoretical option. An Air Corps aircraft was present but did not engage.

The Journal also reports that the drones may have launched from the north east of Dublin, possibly near Howth, although the possibility of an undetected ship based launch has not been ruled out. The drones remained airborne for up to two hours. Investigators have not identified the controllers or the current location of the craft.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly and senior ministers were briefed in the early hours following the incident. The Journal notes that it is unclear whether Zelenskyy’s delegation was informed. The Defence Forces issued a statement saying that for operational security reasons they would not comment on specifics, but confirmed that support to the Garda led security operation was provided through multiple means.