The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU), which is responsible for investigating threats to national security, is investigating the sighting of a group of drones near the flight path of Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s aircraft as he arrived for a State visit to Ireland on Monday night. The SDU is primarily tasked with investigating terrorism and threats to the State and has in the past been involved in investigations into suspected Russian espionage and other forms of hybrid warfare. The move comes as the French military confirmed its soldiers opened fire on five suspected drones spotted over a nuclear submarine base on Thursday night. The drones appeared near the coast by Howth around the time Mr Zelenskiy’s aircraft was due to pass. The Garda investigation will focus on the drones’ suspected flight path in an effort to discover their origin.

Source: The Irish Times December 06, 2025 03:05 UTC