Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's aircraft was the intended target of a sophisticated drone incursion as it arrived in Dublin for a visit this week, security sources have revealed.
A Narrow Miss Over the Irish Sea
Four large unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of military specification breached a strict no-fly zone late on Monday night as President Zelensky's jet approached for a one-day diplomatic visit. The aircraft touched down at Dublin Airport moments before the drones arrived at the precise position where it was expected to pass just after 11pm.
Security assessments indicate the drones timed their arrival to coincide with the leader's original landing schedule. President Zelensky had been due slightly later, a delay that may have averted a direct confrontation. After missing the aircraft, the drones altered course and began hovering above the Irish Navy vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats, which had been deployed covertly in the Irish Sea to support the high-profile visit.
Investigation Points to Deliberate Hybrid Attack
The UAVs, described as large, highly sophisticated quadcopters, are believed to have taken off from the north-east of Dublin, potentially near Howth. They remained airborne for up to two hours, with their navigation lights illuminated—a detail investigators say points to a deliberate act of disruption or intimidation rather than a clandestine operation.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Taoiseach Simon Harris were among senior officials briefed in the early hours of Tuesday. The Ministers for Justice and Defence were also notified overnight. It remains unclear whether President Zelensky's delegation was informed of the serious security breach.
The incident has raised significant concerns among security officials, who concluded the drones' capabilities suggest a potential state-backed hybrid attack. The intrusion mirrors a series of recent events across Europe where unidentified drones have forced airport closures and triggered probes into foreign interference.
Limited Response Capabilities Exposed
The breach occurred inside a no-fly zone ordered by the Irish Aviation Authority specifically for the duration of the Ukrainian leader's visit. The drones subsequently entered Irish-controlled waters and circled above the naval ship, which was not equipped with air-search radar and lacked the means to disable them.
An Irish Air Corps aircraft was airborne at the time but did not engage. Irish forces faced limited technical options: Garda handheld jamming equipment was out of range, and officials judged it too risky for the naval vessel to open fire with its machine guns, which are only capable of close-range engagement.
A high-level meeting between An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, and senior national-security officials was convened in Dublin on Tuesday to assess the breach and the state's response. So far, the operators have not been identified, and the drones have not been recovered.
