Unidentified drones stormed Ireland

Unidentified drones violated Irish airspace this week during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a source familiar with the matter told News themezone on Friday.

“Any incident like this would be under the control of the defense forces,” the source told News themezone, adding: “These are now seen all over Europe.”

The Irish Department of Defense told News themezone in a statement on Friday that “all circumstances surrounding the incident” are being investigated and analyzed by Irish military and police officials.

The drones were large and likely military-specification, and Irish officials classified the incident as a hybrid attack, according to Irish news outlet The Journal, which cited the country’s security services. According to Irish state broadcaster RTÉ, senior Irish government officials were informed about the presence of drones.

It comes after weeks of reports from other European nations of unidentified drones flying around key infrastructure, including airports and military installations in Germany, Denmark and the Baltic countries. The incidents have forced airports to suspend flights many times in recent months, and unmarked drones have even been seen around military bases, including near a belgian military base where US nuclear weapons were stored last month.

Some of the United States’ European allies in NATO have alleged that these airspace incursions are part of a campaign of Escalation of hybrid war tactics by Russia..

The Journal reported Thursday that four unidentified military-style drones had violated an Irish no-fly zone and flown into the flight path of Zelenskyy’s plane while it was still over the sea approaching Dublin Airport on Monday night. The drones arrived at the location where Zelenskyy’s plane was expected to be at the exact moment it was supposed to pass, according to the outlet.

The Ukrainian leader’s plane landed, apparently slightly ahead of schedule, moments before the incident occurred, around 11 p.m. local time. The drones then flew over an Irish Navy ship that was deployed to the Irish Sea specifically for Zelenskyy’s visit after the incident, The Journal said.

Zelenskyy made a diplomatic visit to Ireland this week, meeting the country’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin and addressing the Irish parliament.

The Irish military declined to comment on the details of the incident, but told News themezone on Friday that a security operation in partnership with Irish police “was successfully deployed through multiple means, ultimately leading to a safe and successful visit by President Zelensky to Ireland.”