The plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Dublin Airport in Ireland on December 1, 2025. PHOTO: Clodagh Kilcoyne / PA Images / Profimedia
Drones spotted near Dublin airport shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived last week were not a threat to his plane, but the incident is very worrying, Ireland's prime minister said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
A small number of unidentified drones were spotted in the vicinity of an Irish naval vessel patrolling off the coast of Dublin on the evening of Zelenski's arrival on a state visit, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in the Irish parliament.
“The drones were not a threat to President Zelenskiy's plane – that much should be clear – because the plane had landed safely some time before this incident,” Martin explained.
“The circumstances suggest that this is part of the Russian-inspired hybrid campaign against the European Union and Ukrainian interests,” added the head of the Dublin government, quoted by Agerpres.
A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Dublin said the suggestion that Moscow was involved was unfounded and that European politicians were promoting a “myth” about Russia's threat to Europe.
In recent months, drone flights, whose origin is unknown, have disrupted operations in the airspace of several European countries.
Visiting Dublin on Tuesday, European Council President Antonio Costa described last week's incident as “another example of hybrid attacks from Russia”.
Militarily neutral Ireland has one of the lowest levels of defense spending in Europe but has vowed to increase spending, and Prime Minister Micheal Martin has revealed his country plans to invest in anti-drone technology.
“It is very clear that there is a security threat to Ireland,” Martin said.
The government is “fully confident” that it can protect European leaders who will attend a summit during the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union, a position that will be secured in the second half of next year, the head of government in Dublin insisted on Tuesday.
Irish media reported last Thursday that a military ship spotted up to five drones flying close to the presidential plane's flight path.
The Journal publication, which first wrote about the sighting of military-type drones at Dublin airport, stated that they arrived at the place where Zelenskiy's plane was expected just as it was supposed to land.
According to the Irish Times, citing unnamed sources, the plane arrived slightly earlier and was not endangered.
On Monday, Zelenskiy confirmed reports that several unidentified drones had been spotted near the flight path of his plane.
“There will be an investigation… There were drones, indeed,” Zelenski told reporters. “We somehow got used to living in these circumstances,” the Ukrainian president said in response to a question about security issues.
