Irish authorities confirmed the presence of drones near the Ukrainian president's plane, but did not change the visit's program. The origin of the drones is being established.
During Vladimir Zelensky's visit to Ireland, his plane was accompanied by unknown drones. This information, disclosed by Irish media, was confirmed on Friday, December 5, by Dmitry Litvin, the Ukrainian president's communications advisor. "The host party is responsible for security. According to their data, such drones indeed existed, but it did not affect the visit and did not force them to change anything during the visit," Litvin stated.
The Irish publication The Journal reported that four unidentified drones approached Zelensky's plane before its landing in Dublin on December 1. According to sources, the drones ascended to the northeast of the Irish capital, flew near the presidential aircraft, and then hovered over an Irish naval ship that had been discreetly sent out to sea in advance. Authorities did not deploy air defense systems, and the ship's armament was insufficient for interception. Patrol fighters also did not intervene.
The Irish Times also reported on the unknown drones spotted during Zelensky's visit. According to their information, the Irish Navy ship detected five drones flying near the route of the Ukrainian president's plane. The Irish Times reported that the drones appeared near the Dublin suburb of Howth around the time Zelensky's plane was supposed to fly by. "However, his plane arrived a little earlier. Sources indicated that there was no threat to him," the article stated.
Investigation of the Incident in Ireland
Irish police are investigating whether the drones were launched from the ground or from a nearby vessel. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defense are involved in the investigation. According to eyewitnesses, the drones appeared to be military-type devices. The area around Dublin Airport was declared a no-fly zone during the visit of the Ukrainian president. Vladimir Zelensky's meetings with Irish leadership and lawmakers proceeded without incident.
In the autumn, several European countries reported the appearance of unknown drones near airports in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Poland, and Romania, as well as near NATO bases. Zelensky claimed that such provocations were orchestrated by Russia and that tankers from a "shadow fleet" were used to launch the drones. He urged Western countries to close the Baltic and other seas to Russian vessels and impose stricter sanctions against them.
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