Military drones approached Zelensky's aircraft on its way to Dublin.

On Monday, four military drones entered a restricted airspace and moved toward Volodymyr Zelenskys aircraft before it touched down at Dublin Airport. The plane landed slightly earlier than scheduled at 11:00 PM, though had it arrived on time, the drones would have been directly along its flight path.

The unidentified drones subsequently hovered over an Irish Navy ship that had been discreetly stationed in the Irish Sea in preparation for President Zelenskys inaugural visit to Ireland.

According to sources, the drones took off northeast of Dublin and remained airborne for roughly two hours. Their origin and current location remain unknown. Security officials believe the drones aimed to interfere with Zelenskys arrival, as they were equipped with lights and appeared to be military-grade. The incident is considered a potential case of hybrid warfare.

European nations have heightened security following a spate of drone incursions that disrupted airports in Brussels, Denmark, and Berlin. Russia has been accused of using a covert fleet of oil tankers to launch drones targeting European airports and military sites.

Analysis of flight tracking data indicated that the tanker Boracay was positioned in the Baltic Sea when multiple drone swarms were deployed in September. On September 22, the vessel was located within 50 nautical miles of Copenhagen when drone activity forced the citys airport to close for several hours. In subsequent days, the tanker moved along Denmarks northern coast, coinciding with further drone sightings. While French authorities later seized the Boracay, other vessels in the covert fleet remain active. This fleet is also linked to funding military operations by transporting oil while avoiding sanctions.

Copenhagen is thought to represent the first instance of using a tanker as a drone launch platform, indicating a new approach in hybrid warfare tactics. President Zelensky had previously warned on September 28 that Russian shadow-fleet vessels were being used to launch and control drones over European cities, citing domestic intelligence sources.

Author: Aiden Foster