Irish Taoiseach confirms Zelenskiy's plane safe before Dublin drone incident

December 10, 2025 at 08:20 PM•2 min read

Unidentified drones were observed off Dublin after President Zelenskiy's safe arrival, posing no threat to his aircraft.

Key Points

1Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's aircraft landed safely at Dublin Airport "quite some time" before unidentified drones were observed off the coast.
2The drones posed no threat to President Zelenskiy's plane or his departure, ensuring the security of his visit to Dublin.
3Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin suggested the drone incident is part of an "ongoing Russian-inspired hybrid campaign" against EU and Ukrainian interests.
4Ireland's Naval Service currently lacks drone disabling equipment, a capability only recently demonstrated by France among EU member states.

Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's aircraft had safely landed at Dublin Airport "quite some time" before a small number of unidentified drones were observed in the vicinity of a Naval Service vessel off the Dublin coast last week. Martin emphasized that the drones posed no threat to President Zelenskiy's plane or his subsequent departure, ensuring the visit's security effectiveness. An operational response was initiated by the naval vessel's commander, followed by close cooperation between Irish police (An Garda Síochána) and military authorities, with a Garda special detective unit now investigating the incident.

The Taoiseach defended the non-interception of the drones, noting that no European Union member state, with the recent exception of France, has attempted to disable or take down such unmanned aerial vehicles. Martin described the event as "very concerning," suggesting it aligns with an "ongoing Russian-inspired hybrid campaign against European Union and Ukrainian interests," similar to incidents in other EU nations. He acknowledged questions regarding the Irish Naval Service's lack of drone disabling equipment, stating such operational decisions are left to authorities.

Concerns were raised in the Dáil by TDs regarding the origin and handling of the drones, as well as the evidence for Russian involvement, particularly given increased Russian "shadow-fleet" activity in Irish-controlled waters. Martin highlighted an exponential growth in cyberattacks and hybrid warfare since the invasion of Ukraine, including airspace violations across several EU states. Addressing Ireland's capacity to protect its airspace, especially ahead of its EU presidency next year, the Taoiseach confirmed An Garda Síochána is enhancing its anti-drone capabilities and has established a dedicated EU presidency co-ordination office, underscoring the need for inter-agency cooperation and intelligence sharing in modern security.