The Russians targeted President Zelenskyy’s plane as it was on approach to Dublin.
Quite breathtaking story – military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky’s plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule:
— Nicolai von Ondarza (@nvondarza.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 10:20 AM
The Irish Navy had a ship present, but ‘made the decision not to shoot down the drones’, though the article also notes it the vessel did not have the capacity to disable the drones.
A huge reminder that Irish neutrality does not protect it from hybrid attacks.
— Nicolai von Ondarza (@nvondarza.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 10:20 AM
From The Journal: (emphasis mine)
FOUR UNIDENTIFIED MILITARY-STYLE drones breached a no-fly zone and flew towards the flight path of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane at sea near Dublin Airport late on Monday night, The Journal has learned.
The plane landed, slightly ahead of schedule, just moments before the incident happened at about 11pm. The drones reached the location where Zelenskyy’s plane was expected to be at the exact moment it had been due to pass.
The drones then orbited above an Irish Navy vessel that had secretly been deployed in the Irish Sea for the Zelenskyy visit.
Sources have said that the drones took off from the north-east of Dublin, possibly near Howth, and flew for up to two hours. Enquiries are being carried out to determine whether the drones took off from land or from an undetected ship.
It is not yet known who launched and controlled the drones or where the drones are now.
Military-style drones are capable of a large range of functions. In this case, the fact that the drones had their lights on has led security forces to suspect that the aim was to disrupt the flight’s arrival into Dublin.
Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly was told about the incident in the early hours of Tuesday morning. It is understood that the Taoiseach and Ministers for Justice and Defence were also told in the hours after it happened. It is not known if Irish authorities briefed the Ukrainian president’s team.
The incident mirrors similar drone incursions in Europe in recent months which led to the closure of airports in Brussels and Denmark and caused significant security tensions.
Ireland’s security services have found that the drones in the Irish Sea were large, hugely expensive, of military specification, and that the incident could be classed as a hybrid attack.
Hybrid warfare is the use of military and non-military tactics, such as drone incursions, cyber attacks, sabotage and disinformation, to weaken or destabilise opponents without declaring a full-scale war. It is generally carried out by state-level military and intelligence services.
It is understood that the drones missed the approach of the Ukrainian leader’s plane and then turned their attention to the LÉ William Butler Yeats, the Irish naval vessel which was secretly deployed off Dublin. The drones operated within the 12 nautical mile limit of Irish-controlled waters.
A decision was made not to shoot down the drones, and there was no ability onboard the naval vessel to disable them. It is understood an Irish Air Corps aircraft was also patrolling at the time but did not get involved.
Irish forces had limited other options for dealing with the drones, which are technically known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Handheld equipment purchased by An Garda Síochána could not be used to take down the drones as it was out of range. There was also no air defence capability save for the machine guns of the naval vessel. The LÉ Yeats has no air radar capability.
It is understood that deck look-outs who were working on the ship spotted the drones, which were lit up against the night sky.
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) had issued a drone no-fly zone over Dublin and surrounding areas for the duration of the president’s visit.
The drones are believed to have been quadcoptersas they were able to hover above the naval vessel. This type of drone has four propellers or rotors which allow it to stay in one position.
A high-level meeting between An Garda Sochána, the Irish Defence Forces and senior civil servants with responsibility for national security was called yesterday in Dublin to discuss the incident.
Zelenskyy’s visit to Dublin went off without any major hitches. However, his aircraft did use a specialist take off as it left Dublin Airport to limit exposure to any drone incidents.
More at the link.
We need to be really clear, this is NOT a hybrid attack. It is a direct attack with a military drones. If someone targets someone with a Shahed or a Reaper, it’s deliberate targeting with a weapon.
Yes, I know the reporting indicates it is unknown whose drones they were, but let’s be honest with ourselves about whose drones they were. Even if they wind up arresting a bunch of schmoes.
The EU, its member states, NATO, and its member states need to get their acts together. They are out of time.
Exhibit A:
Macron reportedly warned Zelenskyy US may ‘betray Ukraine on territory’
— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) December 4, 2025 at 12:20 PM
From The Guardian:
Emmanuel Macron has reportedly warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “there is a chance that the US will betray Ukraine on territory, without clarity on security guarantees”, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported, quoting a leaked note from a recent call with several European leaders.
Der Spiegel said it had obtained an English summary of Monday’s call, featuring what it said were direct quotations from European heads of government in which they expressed fundamental doubts about Washington’s approach to the talks.
The French president described the current tense phase of the negotiations as harbouring “a big danger” for Ukraine’s embattled president, according to the summary. Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, reportedly added that the Ukrainian leader needed to be “very careful”.
“They are playing games with both you and us,” Merz was reported as telling him – a remark the magazine concluded was a reference to a diplomatic mission to Moscow this week by President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The magazine said other leaders also voiced their concerns, with Finland’s Alexander Stubb, who has bonded with Trump over golf, reportedly warning “we must not leave Ukraine and Volodymyr alone with these guys”.
Even the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte – who in public is very complimentary of Trump – reportedly said he agreed with Stubb “that we need to protect Volodymyr”.
Der Spiegel said it spoke with “several” participants of the call, who confirmed it took place, and two of them reportedly said the remarks were “accurately reproduced”.
A spokesperson for Zelenskyy declined to comment, as did Merz’s office, while the Élysée Palace contested the quotes attributed to Macron. Der Spiegel said Rutte’s office had declined to comment.
The magazine produced a report in German and separately published an English version, saying it contained original quotes from the summary note.
Now let’s see if they’ll do anything about all of this other than talk.
Here is what Russia has queued up for Ukraine tonight/this morning:
Launches of Russian/Iranian Shahed-type killer drones detected at 9 locations in fascist Russia, so it looks like the Kremlin may be planning a big attack. Two subs capable of firing a total of 12 Kalibr cruise missiles stationed in Azov Sea, so combined missile attack possible.
— Euan MacDonald (@euanmacdonald.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 3:34 PM
And Ukraine’s outgoing fires:
Monitoring channels report that more than 100 strike drones are flying to bomb Russia and the occupiers in the occupied territories. The map also shows the trajectory of a cruise missile, marked with a green arrow.
— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 4:11 PM
🦅 Drone threat in the Saratov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Penza, Tambov, Volgograd regions, in the Kuban and in Crimea.
— MAKS 25 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) December 4, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.
