On December 1, four unidentified military-type drones violated the no-fly zone near Dublin Airport and approached the route of Volodymyr Zelenskyʼs jet. He landed a few minutes before the UAVs appeared.
This is reported by The Journal, citing sources.
Drones were also seen circling an Irish Navy ship that was secretly patrolling the Irish Sea during the visit. Sources say the drones may have taken off from the Goth area, stayed airborne for up to two hours and have military-grade characteristics. It is not known who was flying them.
Irish forces were unable to shoot down or suppress the drones due to a lack of technical capabilities. The incident is being viewed as a possible element of a hybrid attack similar to recent drone provocations in Belgium and Denmark.
Zelenskyʼs visit ultimately passed without incident, and Irelandʼs security services held an urgent meeting regarding the threat.
Aircraft and drones in EU airspace
In September, a series of airspace violations by drones and aircraft began to be recorded in Europe. In particular, Russian drones flew into Poland and Romania, their wreckage was found in Bulgaria and Latvia. Three MiG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace.
On the night of October 3, 15 unidentified drones were spotted over the Belgian military base in Elsenborn. The base is located a few kilometers from the German border and is an army training camp that includes a guarded area for shooting exercises.
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