It has come to light that Volodymyr Zelensky’s aircraft was the target of military-style drone activity as it made its way to Dublin.

As the Ukrainian President’s plane was preparing for a brief visit late Monday night, four sizable unmanned aerial vehicles breached a restricted airspace.

His aircraft successfully landed just moments before these drones reached the precise location where his jet was originally anticipated to pass shortly after 11 p.m.

Initial plans had slated his arrival for a slightly later time, and security experts suggest the drones coordinated their appearance with this initial schedule.

After failing to intercept the plane, the drones altered their path and hovered over an Irish Navy ship, which had been discreetly positioned in the Irish Sea to bolster the visit’s security.

Sources said the UAVs flew for up to two hours after taking off from the north-east of Dublin, possibly near Howth, and investigators are examining whether they may have been launched from land or from an unidentified vessel offshore. 

So far, the operators have not been identified, and the drones have not been recovered. A command was not given to shoot the drones out of the sky. 

Security officials concluded that the drones were large, highly sophisticated and of military specification, raising fears that the incident may have been a hybrid attack.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska disembark after arriving at Dublin Airport. Four large military-style drones targeted the Ukrainian leader’s aircraft

Barry Andrews, an MEP posted this graphic on social media, thanking the Irish Aviation Authority for enforcing a no fly zone during Zelensky’s visit

Their lights were illuminated, which investigators say points to a deliberate attempt to disrupt or intimidate rather than conceal.  

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly was briefed in the early hours of Tuesday. 

The Taoiseach and Ministers for Justice and Defence were also notified overnight. It is unclear whether Zelenskyy’s delegation was informed.

The breach was akin to a series of recent incidents across Europe in which unidentified drones forced the closure of airports and triggered investigations into state-backed interference. 

Airports in Brussels and Denmark were temporarily shut in recent weeks after drones penetrated restricted airspace, and Dutch forces have opened fire on rogue drones in separate events.

The Dublin intrusion occurred inside a no-fly zone ordered by the Irish Aviation Authority for the duration of Zelenskyy’s visit. Ahead of the visit, Irish MEP Barry Andrews posted a graphic on social media showing the no-fly zone which was imposed.

The drones then entered Irish-controlled waters and circled above the LÉ William Butler Yeats, which did not have air-search radar and was unable to disable them. 

An Irish Air Corps aircraft was airborne at the time but did not engage. 

Zelensky and his wife being driven away from the tarmac after exiting the plane

Zelensky seen with Irish prime minister Michael Martin. His visit went ahead without disruption

Irish forces had limited technical options to intervene. Garda-issued handheld jamming equipment could not be used because the drones were far beyond its range.

The naval vessel was armed only with machine guns capable of close-range engagement, and officials judged it too risky to fire.

The drones were believed to be quadcopters, a type capable of hovering in place using four rotors. Crew members on deck spotted them illuminated against the night sky.

A high-level meeting between An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and senior national-security officials was convened in Dublin on Tuesday to assess the breach and the response.

Zelenskyy’s visit proceeded without disruption, though his aircraft used a specialist take-off procedure when departing Dublin to reduce exposure to further drone activity. 

Over the last few years, the Ukrainian security service has revealed a number of foiled attempts to harm the president. 

Last year, the agency revealed two Ukrainian government protection unit colonels were arrested after a failed assassination attempt. They were allegedly looking for willing members of Zelensky’s security detail who could kidnap and kill him.