Senior members of the Irish government were briefed about the presence of drones in Irish airspace on the night Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the country, BBC News NI understands. The Ukrainian leader landed in Dublin late Monday for a one-day official visit alongside First Lady Olena Zelenska.
The Irish Defence Forces declined to comment on “the specifics of any alleged incidents,” but confirmed that their support for the Garda-led security operation was “successfully deployed in multiple means,” ensuring a safe visit for the Ukrainian president.
Ukraine’s presidential office, responding to questions from journalists including the BBC, said that “the host country is responsible for security.” A spokesperson added that, based on information provided by Irish authorities, “there were indeed such drones, but this did not affect the visit and did not require any changes to it.”
It is understood that An Garda Síochána is not conducting an investigation. A Garda spokesperson, speaking generally, noted that any such incident occurring in Irish waters falls under the remit of the Defence Forces.
According to reports, the origin and operators of the drones remain unknown. Security sources currently believe the aircraft were likely intended to disrupt Zelensky’s flight rather than cause harm, as they were flying with their lights on and made no attempt to conceal their presence.
Four Drones Breached No-Fly Zone
The Journal reported that Zelensky arrived earlier than scheduled, while four military-style drones of unknown origin entered the designated no-fly zone that would have been his planned flight path. The craft reportedly reached the point where Zelensky’s plane would have been at around 11 p.m. local time, arriving just as the aircraft would have passed overhead had it not been early.
Sources told The Journal that the drones appeared to have launched from an area northeast of Dublin and remained airborne for up to two hours. They were also observed loitering above the Irish Navy vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats, which had been covertly deployed as part of the security operation.
The Navy ship did not attempt to shoot down the drones and lacked the capability to disable them. A nearby Irish Air Corps aircraft also took no action. Instead, deck lookouts identified the drones visually, aided by the fact that their lights were switched on during flight.
Officials were informed shortly after the incident. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly was briefed early Tuesday morning, while Taoiseach Simon Harris and the ministers for Justice and Defence were notified within hours.
Among the active lines of inquiry is the possibility that the drones were launched from an undetected vessel off the Irish coast. Authorities continue to assess the event, though no disruption to Zelensky’s visit was ultimately reported.
