Zelenskyy's office responds to reports of drones 'pursuing' his aircraft

"Security is the responsibility of the host country. According to their information, such drones did indeed appear, but this did not affect the visit or require any changes to it," Lytvyn said.

Information on incident

On December 4, The Guardian reported that four unidentified drones followed the flight path of Zelenskyy’s aircraft during his visit to Ireland.

According to the outlet, the plane landed at Dublin Airport slightly earlier than scheduled. Meanwhile, the drones reached the spot where Zelenskyy’s aircraft was expected to pass "exactly at the designated time."

The unknown drones then circled over an Irish Navy vessel that had been secretly deployed to the Irish Sea during the Ukrainian president’s visit. Irish authorities decided not to shoot down the drones, and the vessel itself did not have the means to neutralize UAVs.

According to The Journal, the drones took off from the northeast of Dublin and remained airborne for up to two hours. The incident is currently under investigation. Who launched and operated the drones remains unknown.

Irish law enforcement believes the goal may have been to disrupt Zelenskyy’s arrival in Ireland.

Journalists also report that, according to Ireland’s security services, the drones spotted near Dublin Airport were large, expensive, and military-grade, making the incident potentially a hybrid attack.

Zelenskyy's visit to Ireland

The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska to Ireland took place on the night of December 2. During the visit, the Ukrainian leader met with the country’s prime minister, Micheál Martin.

Ireland will provide Ukraine with €100 million to counter Russia’s combined attacks, and an additional €25 million for the energy sector.