Rogue drones launched as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy was arriving in Ireland came as close as 500m to an Irish naval vessel, it has emerged.
However, the officers of LÉ William Butler Yeats felt that due to the rules of engagement in place at the time, and the presence of civilian aircraft in the skies above, they could not open fire, sources said.
Since the incident last Monday there have been behind-the-scenes clashes between security services over what action should have been taken after the drones were spotted near the flight path of Mr Zelenskiy’s aircraft, shortly after the plane touched down at Dublin Airport.
Senior gardaí have privately criticised the Naval Service’s decision not to shoot down the five drones that were spotted hovering around the ship late on Monday night, about 13 nautical miles out to sea in Dublin Bay.
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Defence Forces officers have pushed back, arguing the ship’s mission, along with the mission of LÉ Aoibhinn which was closer to shore, was to ensure the safe transit of the Ukrainian aircraft and that this was successfully completed.
Furthermore, the rules of engagement in place for the mission stated the ship could not open fire on aircraft in international waters unless they posed a threat to the ship.
In addition, it is argued the most suitable weapon for shooting down the ship, the Yeats’s 20mm autocannons, would have posed a potential danger to several civilian aircraft which were in a holding pattern overhead waiting for clearance to land.
The Garda Special Detective Unit, along with the Defence Forces, has launched an investigation into the incident. “It would have been nice to shoot down at least one for evidential value,” said one security source.
Another source argued the rules of engagement used by the Defence Forces are not adequately clear and a lack of real-world experience means they are not always fully understood by personnel.
One security source said it was unfair to compare the situation to the sighting of five drones over a French nuclear submarine base last week which saw French troops open fire.
“One was over an very sensitive area on sovereign national territory. The other was in international waters where it seemed no one was in danger.”
The main point of debate regarding the decision not to shoot down the drones has centred on whether the Yeats was in danger at the time and therefore permitted to take offensive action.
One naval source not involved in the incident said they would have been happy to order the drones be shot down based on their behaviour and proximity. Another was more reluctant, arguing they posed no direct threat.
The Yeats, which arrived back in port in Haulbowline, Co Cork, on Monday, was “entirely capable” of shooting down the drones, said one naval source, and had carried out air defence exercises a few nights before Mr Zelenskiy’s visit.
It has also practised shooting down target drones in the past, sources said. However, it lacks an air search radar and electronic jamming equipment, meaning it is almost entirely reliant on the marksmanship of the crew.
Investigations have yet to identify who was behind the drone incident. However, on Monday Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said it was clear they were not controlled by some “back-garden enthusiast” but likely tied to a “co-ordinated threat” to European interests.
“I think it’s fair to say that we think this is part of a co-ordinated threat to EU and Ukrainian interests,” the Minister said in Brussels.
“It certainly wasn’t a back-garden drone enthusiast, I suppose our suspicion is that this was drones that were generated for the purpose of putting pressure on EU and indeed Ukrainian interests,” he said.
It is understood footage of the drones was captured by the crew of the Yeats.
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has called for the footage to be released to the public in the name of transparency.
“There is no doubt Russia is waging a hybrid war on Europe and there is a real threat to Ireland from drones, from cyberattacks and from interference in our sea waters in advance of the EU council presidency next year.
“However, many people cannot yet fully evaluate the level of threat, and so full transparency from the policing and military authorities is required, without compromising national or operational security,” he said.
“If Ireland is to successfully confront this hybrid threat, then we need, as far as possible, a fully informed public.”
