Four military-grade drones breach no-fly zone ahead of Zelensky’s arrival in Dublin

Irish security services are investigating a serious drone incident after four unidentified military-style UAVs breached a no-fly zone near Dublin Airport just moments after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s plane landed late Monday night.

The drones — large, expensive quadcopters with military-level capabilities — flew toward the exact point where Zelensky’s aircraft had been expected minutes earlier, The Journal has learned. The aircraft touched down slightly ahead of schedule, narrowly avoiding the drones’ intended flight path around 23:00.

After missing the approach, the drones began circling a secretly deployed Irish Naval Service vessel, the LÉ William Butler Yeats, stationed in the Irish Sea for the visit. The UAVs operated within Ireland’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters and remained airborne for up to two hours.

Launch Site Undetermined

Security officials believe the drones likely originated from northeast Dublin, possibly the Howth area, but are also examining whether they could have been launched from an undetected ship offshore. Investigators have not identified the operators or the drones’ current whereabouts.

Sources say the drones had their lights illuminated — a detail that has led authorities to suspect the intent was to disrupt or interfere with the presidential flight rather than conduct covert surveillance.

High-Level Alerts and Limited Defences

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly was informed in the early hours of Tuesday, followed by briefings to the Taoiseach and senior ministers. It is unclear whether Zelenskyy’s delegation was notified.

Ireland’s limited counter-drone capabilities left few response options. The naval vessel lacks air-defence radar and had no means to disable the UAVs. An Garda Síochána’s handheld drone-interdiction equipment was out of range, and the Air Corps aircraft patrolling the area did not engage. Officials ultimately decided not to shoot down the drones.

Lookouts aboard the LÉ William Butler Yeats visually spotted the craft against the night sky as they hovered overhead.

A Growing Pattern of Hybrid Threats

Security sources classify the incident as a potential hybrid attack, mirroring recent drone incursions that shut down airports in Brussels and Denmark and prompted military action in the Netherlands. Such operations typically involve state-level actors employing non-traditional tactics — including drones, cyberattacks, and sabotage — to destabilise adversaries.

The UAVs involved in the Dublin incident appeared to be operating independently, indicating they were likely controlled by four separate pilots rather than part of a coordinated drone swarm.

Security Concerns Ahead of EU Presidency

The breach comes amid heightened concern over Ireland’s defensive shortfalls ahead of its EU Presidency next year. It also follows reporting on issues within the Joint Committee on Defence and National Security and its limited capacity to scrutinise threats to the state.

Zelensky’s visit concluded without further incident, though his aircraft used a special departure procedure to minimise exposure to drone risks.

Defence Forces, Gardaí, and government departments declined to comment on specifics, citing operational security. A high-level meeting between security agencies and senior civil servants was convened on Tuesday to assess the breach.

Source: The Journal (Ireland)