Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin

[UAV Hive]

As @dBm mentioned there was an EO/IR capability, the Irish Navy's LÉ William Butler Yeats (P63) is a Samuel Beckett-class OPV with a SeaEagle FCEO-A EO/IR.

It's also come out in the Irish Times that the vessel LÉ Aoibhinn (P71) was in the bay at the time, but it's a smaller vessel and there's no obvious sign of an EO/IR capability.

1. The EO/IR turret is mounted on the bridge roof, slightly aft and to starboard

You can clearly see the stabilised gimballed sensor head (SeaEagle FCEO-A) sitting on a pedestal behind the forward superstructure.

2. Forward view: clear

The turret has an excellent line-of-sight in the forward arc — no obstruction except the 76 mm gun, which it sits above.

3. Aft view: completely blocked by the main mast & superstructure

Everything behind the turret — the mast, the funnel area, the communications arrays — completely obstructs the rear hemisphere.


There is no way this sensor can see backwards from this position.

4. Port-side view: partly restricted

The turret is placed to starboard, which means the port-side arc is limited by the height of the wheelhouse roof and the forward superstructure.

5. Starboard-side view: mostly unobstructed

It has the cleanest coverage on its own side.

It might have recorded imagery, though as we saw at Lakenheath if the EO/IR was looking at a distance aircraft and the image of it was tiny a misidentification could still occur.

 

[John J.]

Primary Radar heads are located at Cork, Dublin and Shannon Airports.
https://www.airnav.ie/getattachment...344-15b5df95238a/EI_ENR_1_6_EN.pdf?lang=en-IE
Any talk of Ireland lacking primary radar is regarding the lack of the north-west sea coverage and lack of military focus.

IIRC, it was mentioned in one of the other recent drone sighting threads (Copenhagen airport?) that ATC etc. radars generally lack the ability to detect modest-sized drones (apologies if I've misremembered!)

 

[UAV Hive]

IIRC, it was mentioned in one of the other recent drone sighting threads (Copenhagen airport?) that ATC etc. radars generally lack the ability to detect modest-sized drones (apologies if I've misremembered!)

Correct small drone would be missed but they said the drones this time were 1/2 size of a fridge.

 

[UAV Hive]

Given the specs on the infrared on the Irish Navy ship, I'd expect it should have been able to tell a drone from an aircraft, assuming they used the SeaEagle, it should be able to clearly see a drone and tell an aircraft from a drone. Looking at the video of the ADS-B data the aircraft are often low enough to be in the 5km range.

 

[John J.]

...they said the drones this time were 1/2 size of a fridge.

We need to find out how big the fridge was!
Did the observer mean a modest freestanding fridge, an undercounter fridge or a larger fridge-freezer or larder fridge?

And did the observer mean half the height of a fridge but same width and depth? (It's unlikely that, e.g., a quadcopter would have a similar shape/ proportions to half a fridge).
Or just that the drones' longest dimension was about half that of a fridge's height?

Looking at this selection of domestic fridges from an Irish retailer, DID Electrical https://www.did.ie/collections/freestanding-fridges, half the height of a fridge varies from approx. 42.5 cm - 93.8 cm (16.73 - 37 inches).
This isn't massively different from the span of larger commercially available quadcopters:

Their wingspan can vary from about 15 inches to 30 inches, which is quite big in comparison with smaller models.

"Large Quadcopters: Let You Creativity Run Wild With Professional Drones", Drone Lab website 23 June 2017 https://www.mydronelab.com/best-pick/large-quadcopters.html

Ireland isn't a NATO member but despite its neutrality works at having inter-operability with NATO countries.
Training military observers to use metric measurements instead of the fridge might help.

 

[dBm]

Now it has reached the point of inter service bickering, with "senior Gardai" complaining about the fact the Naval vessel did not fire warning shots, or try and shoot the suspected drones down.
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/...orces-to-rogue-drones-during-zelenskiy-visit/

What we know for a fact is that there were four civilian aircraft circulating off the coast at altitudes below 10,000 feet after Zelenskyy's aircraft landed in Dublin.

Using .50 cal machine guns, let alone 20mm cannon, could have potentially put some of these aircraft at risk.

And if it turns out to be a case of misidentification, I hope these same sources will praise the restraint of the crew on board, because even if they did make a mistake - at least they didn't fire at, let alone shoot a civilian aircraft out of the sky.

One thing possibly worth noting for the investigation is that the Aer Lingus flight was a turboprop ATR-72, wheras the Ryanair flights were all 737s.

I believe there was a case in Europe recently where a turboprop passenger aircraft was mistaken for a drone, and possibly fired at?

 

[gargamel]

I believe there was a case in Europe recently where a turboprop passenger aircraft was mistaken for a drone, and possibly fired at?

The Danes supposedly fired at a passenger plane bound for Billund. The event was detailed in the Copenhagen thread, Thomas can probably fill you in.

edit: from here on out:
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/co...-to-reported-drone-activity.14455/post-354717

 

[UAV Hive]

The Danes supposedly fired at a passenger plane bound for Billund. The event was detailed in the Copenhagen thread, Thomas can probably fill you in.

Correct, I brought that to attention of sUAS News and helped get the first article out for that. I also contacted the press office that didn't want to discuss the incident, you'd have thought they would have denied it if they didn't shoot. It was Borris base...

This is why I'm really jumping on these stories as we are heading to a civilian aircraft being shot at.

 

[gargamel]

Correct, I brought that to attention of sUAS News and helped get the first article out for that. I also contacted the press office that didn't want to discuss the incident, you'd have thought they would have denied it if they didn't shoot. It was Borris base...

This is why I'm really jumping on these stories as we are heading to a civilian aircraft being shot at.

Luckily, since it hinges on the typical misidentification thing, that close and small drone that they think they are opening fire at is actually a big and distant plane, that the bullets certainly won't pose a danger to. Basic ballistics.

But if this becomes a recurring thing, sooner or later some terrible fallout is bound to occur. Whether by stray bullets winding up somewhere less than ideal, or actual hits on some private plane at low altitude and within range for small arms (or god forbid, actual AA) fire.

 

[stevewhite]

Irish naval ship monitored suspicious vessel off Dublin during Zelenskyy visit https://www.thejournal.ie/latest-on-suspicious-drone-activity-in-irish-sea-6895675-Dec2025/

In January this year, the same ship was boarded by Swedish Special Forces over suspicions it was responsible for dragging an anchor across a telecommunications subsea cable.

So they raise it as a concern in a headline then say... they could see nothing came from it.

Such was the surveillance that it is believed that it is unlikely the ship was involved in any sinister operation by Russia or other bad actors, including the presence of drones in the sky.

A ship called the Vezhen was boarded in Janaury by Swedish authorities...

Sweden seizes and boards ship suspected of cable damage in Baltic Sea 27/01/2025
https://www.euronews.com/2025/01/27/sweden-seizes-ship-suspected-of-cable-damage-in-baltic-sea

Swedish authorities seized the Vezhen, sailing under the flag of Malta and registered with a Bulgarian shipping company, on Sunday over suspected sabotage of an underwater cable.

but Sweden then said there was no intentional sabotage

Sweden: Baltic Sea cable damage not sabotage, ship released 02/03/2025

Swedish investigators have concluded that damage sustained by an underwater data cable beneath the Baltic Sea at the end of January was not a result of intentional sabotage and have released a suspected ship. https://www.dw.com/en/sweden-baltic-sea-cable-damage-not-sabotage-ship-released/a-71495750

 

[dBm]

So that vessel was just outside the Irish 12NM limit, within the Irish EEZ - close to UK EEZ.

If we assume the LÉ William Butler Yeats was on the edge of Irish 12NM limit and keeping an eye on the VEZHEN, the nearest aircraft was EI-FAT, the turboprop Aer Lingus ATR-72

A ship was called the Vezhen boarded in Janaury by Sweden authorities...

 

[dBm]

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs-dsr8QfZ0

Updated timelapse with some additional aircraft that were circulating in the area and showing VEZHEN's position.

 

[stevewhite]

The Times UK are often the first to report on Russia and Ireland but as a mostly Sunday release in Ireland they weren't the first to this. The article is behind a paywall.

Ireland security inquiry into Russian 'drone raid' on Zelensky jet. - John Mooney
https://www.thetimes.com/world/irel...-russian-drone-raid-on-zelensky-jet-qvv5r73vn

Almost every drone attack is launched from cargo vessels whose crews are Russian or have been paid by Russian special services. Criminals have also been co-opted. The drones seen off Dublin hovered with their lights on in close proximity to the armed naval vessel before flying away into the darkness. Analysts say at least five pilots, spotters and counter-surveillance teams were probably involved, meaning it would have taken time and extensive resources to organise both on land and at sea.
The drones themselves were ion-battery operated, suggesting they were launched in the immediate vicinity but beyond the reach of LE William Butler Yeats's radar.

A retelling of the previous reports, with some more general 'analysis', odd detail about the battery, being lithium-ion, asserting things from noise or heat signature?

 

[gargamel]

How could one possibly tell what kind of batteries they have without actually getting hold of one and inspecting it?

Now, lithium-ion batteries have driven the recent electrical "revolution" in everything from phones to cars, most things are powered by them. Energy densities and what not.

Just sounds odd to even mention it. >99% of electrical aircraft run on these, so it's like a "duh?!" thing, if they indeed were electrical drones that's what would power them, but I mean if you actually haven't had a close look at one...

That just reeks, basically.

 

[dBm]

How could one possibly tell what kind of batteries they have without actually getting hold of one and inspecting it?

Now, lithium-ion batteries have driven the recent electrical "revolution" in everything from phones to cars, most things are powered by them. Energy densities and what not.

Just sounds odd to even mention it. >99% of electrical aircraft run on these, so it's like a "duh?!" thing, if they indeed were electrical drones that's what would power them, but I mean if you actually haven't had a close look at one...

That just reeks, basically.

Would have preferred if they could say something like: the drones got close enough to be heard and their audio signature was consistent with that of a quadcopter drone with electric motors.

As opposed to say, the sound of a turboprop or turbofan powered passenger aircraft.

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

The Times UK are often the first to report on Russia and Ireland but as a mostly Sunday release in Ireland they weren't the first to this. The article is behind a paywall.

Ireland security inquiry into Russian 'drone raid' on Zelensky jet. - John Mooney
https://www.thetimes.com/world/irel...-russian-drone-raid-on-zelensky-jet-qvv5r73vn

Almost every drone attack is launched from cargo vessels whose crews are Russian or have been paid by Russian special services. Criminals have also been co-opted. The drones seen off Dublin hovered with their lights on in close proximity to the armed naval vessel before flying away into the darkness. Analysts say at least five pilots, spotters and counter-surveillance teams were probably involved, meaning it would have taken time and extensive resources to organise both on land and at sea.
The drones themselves were ion-battery operated, suggesting they were launched in the immediate vicinity but beyond the reach of LE William Butler Yeats's radar.

A retelling of the previous reports, with some more general 'analysis', odd detail about the battery, being lithium-ion, asserting things from noise or heat signature?

More:

The Irish Military Intelligence Service and Garda Headquarters are running a national security inquiry into a Russian "drone attack" that sought to disrupt last week's state visit of President Zelensky.

The incident marks the first time Russia has targeted the Ukrainian leader in a hybrid attack during an official visit to an EU city, which has caused alarm within intelligence services across the bloc.

...
Russia is being held responsible for drone incursions including in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Norway, Lithuania and Sweden. The Kremlin has all but admitted its involvement in the raids. In October a senior ally of President Putin said the incidents had left people in Nato countries "crapping themselves with fear". Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and prime minister who is now deputy head of Russia's national security council, said the scares were useful in reminding Europeans of the "danger of war".

This is an outrageous article! How do journalists feel comfortable publishing statements like this? I am very pro-EU and anti-Putin but this is just pure warmongering propaganda. If there were evidence or credible corroboration to back up the allegations, it would be different, but there isn't. This author is simply assuming that it is the case that Russian drones in recent months have violated the airspaces of Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Norway, Lithuania, and Sweden. And the author implies (incorrectly) that Medvedev admitted that Russia is behind those airspace violations. Despite the fact that other than Lithuania, none of the countries listed have actually concretely confirmed that any abnormal airspace violations occurred. (excluding instances of small consumer quadcopter drones sometimes being flown improperly by civilians, in non-intentionally-nefarious ways, as happened twice in the Oslo airspace in recent months)

 

[dBm]

I think we are in a space where there is likely a reticence on the part of military/state bodies to release the data that they have, which may concretely confirm airspace violations by drones - that reticence may come from a place of fear about exposing what they know and do not know. Or in cases where the data is not so concrete - a fear of embarrassment if they are proved wrong.

My issue with this approach is that it allows the vacuum of publicly available information to be filled with either bad data, or incomplete data - I can map every vessel that was on AIS, I can map every aircraft that was on ADS-B, but I cannot say whether or not there were drones, and it becomes almost an issue of faith: either I believe the media reports citing unnamed military personnel, or I don't.

I would suggest that if any of these cases have verifiable information that drones were involved and operated by malicious actors, then it is self defeating not to release at least some corroborating information to the public.

 

[stevewhite]

Response from the Minister of Justice, the Taoiseach [Prime Minister] and President Zelenksy himself via RTE Irish public service broadcaster.

Drones during Zelensky visit 'part of coordinated threat' - minister [of Justice]
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/1208/1547852-drones-dublin/
The Minister of Justice Jim O'Callaghan said

"It's not just an issue in respect of Ireland, but throughout the European Union, there are issues in respect of greater threats being exposed as a result of drone technology, and something that we've seen in Denmark and Belgium as well.

Zelensky "confirms" the drones.

Zelensky confirms drone presence during visit to Ireland

Mr Zelensky confirmed reports that unidentified drones had been spotted near the flight path of his plane during his trip to Ireland last week.

"There will be an investigation ... There were drones indeed," he told reporters.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin makes very general comments about drone sighting in Europe...

"And as you know, in Copenhagen, we had the emergence of drones. We've witnessed the emergence of drones in Belgium. We've had incidents in UK territorial waters, also in France and also in Ireland, in the context of the visit of President Zelensky."

There is also commentary on so called Russian shadow fleet which I think is somewhat off topic.

 

[gargamel]

I'll just chip in with two factual remarks at first:

1. "Shadow fleet" in essence means tankers and freighters not insured by Lloyds in Britain, as they're under sanctions. They're insured elsewhere though. I find the label quite funny, but that's the label they've all gone with (European media, politicians etc).

2. Malicious activities from these "shadow" ships have been implied for years, whether concerning deliberate sabotage of undersea cables or them being used as drone platforms. They've been raided, seized, taken into custody dozens of times and thoroughly searched, by numerous European nations, and nothing supporting these allegations has thus far turned up. Literally zilch. It's a bunch of Malaysian sailors wondering WTF, basically.

Now, my personal opinion is that it doesn't make any sense. These vessels are operating on the very edge of what is permitted in European waters as it is, and drawing any more attention to themselves, let alone by actually being actively malicious would just be beyond stupid. Several defence experts here in Sweden have said the same thing, and I share their logic.

 

[dBm]

"taken into custody dozens of times"

Is that a factual statement?

 

[gargamel]

"taken into custody dozens of times"

Is that a factual statement?

No, it absolutely isn't. It's a lazy "top of the head" hunch kind of thing after the two or three ones in the Gulf of Finland (two were seized, one was inspected IIRC), the two or three ones here in Sweden, the one the French raided recently (vessel that was implied as a possible launch platform during the CPH drone flare-up), and a bunch more I only remember hazily from the past couple of years. Happens quite often.

edit: But what is factual is that none of the investigations turned up anything at all. Stupid wording on my part.

 

[dBm]

Well, look, my issue around this is - if we're looking at hybrid activity, it is not always going to be possible to find a smoking gun: e.g. in the case of the Eagle S which was seized by Finland, the crew falsely reported that their anchors were up and secure, having dragged anchor and cut the Estlink 2 electricity cable: https://www.ejiltalk.org/anchoring-...protection-of-submarine-cables-and-pipelines/

Now, you can call that incompetence, or an attempt at covering their arses, but they lied. Is it proof of a deliberate act to damage undersea infrastructure? No, but it is suspicious and had real world impacts.

So I don't think we can give carte blanche to the shadow fleet and hold them all above suspicion, but nor can we blame them for every bad thing that happens - so some balance is needed.

 

[gargamel]

I am not extremely well read-up on the matter, I readily admit, but I was curious at the time and asked around, and was told that inept seamen dragging anchors or fishermen carelessly trawling do sever cables hundreds of times a year all over the place.

I'll have to look it up again now. So;

As an old backdrop I will start with: "It happens about twice a week" said some "Teleography" person named Tim Stronge to the CBC ten years ago (2015).

Swedish defense professor Liwång whom I mentioned in the CPH drone thread, said this just last year (2024):
"There's a couple of hundred cable breakages annually, but prior to the explosions on the Nordstream pipeline nobody really paid any attention to them. Few, if any have been proven or even suspected to be acts of sabotage"
(from Horisontmagasin)

Obviously one cannot entirely disregard the possibility of foul play when it comes to undersea cables getting messed up, nor that lights in the sky are foreign drones, and that these two things are both connected to suspicious ships. But each and every time it's been investigated by what I will just assume are proper investigators, there's nothing. So Occham's razor anyone?

 

[Mendel]

Well, look, my issue around this is - if we're looking at hybrid activity, it is not always going to be possible to find a smoking gun:

I contend that "hybrid warfare" is used in the public discourse when someone wants to blame Russia, but has no evidence. Prominent example is the Nordstream sabotage, which made no sense for Russia to have done (against their interests), and turned out not to have been done by Russia.
This drone flap is similar.

With the undersea cable, even if the question of intent is unresolved, at least there's evidence linking a known ship to the damage. The drone news right now is 100% speculation, no evidence.
None.

This is the UFO report template, except the aliens are Russians and the UFOs are "drones".
Sure, it's possible in theory, but too unlikely to be true in practice.

 

[dBm]

But unlike aliens and UFOs, we know drones are real, as are Russians.

We know Russian services have paid individuals to conduct operations in european nations, including arson attacks: https://www.courthousenews.com/men-...-russia-as-part-of-a-wider-sabotage-campaign/

Does that mean drones are flying off shadow fleet vessels to cause a nuisance to european nations? Nope, not at all.

But it is more believable to me than flying saucers coming from Zeta Reticuli to offer pancakes to bystanders.

I'll say it again: I would suggest that if any of these cases have verifiable information that drones were involved and operated by malicious actors, then it is self defeating not to release at least some corroborating information to the public.

 

[Mendel]

But unlike aliens and UFOs, we know drones are real, as are Russians.

and so are aborigines and log canoes, but that doesn't mean they are in Ireland

what we know about Russians and their drones does not point to them being likely to be encountered in Ireland in such an attention-getting fashion.

 

[JMartJr]

Does that mean drones are flying off shadow fleet vessels to cause a nuisance to european nations? Nope, not at all.

Agreed.

But it is more believable to me than flying saucers coming from Zeta Reticuli to offer pancakes to bystanders.

Also agreed. But with the note that aliens in flying saucers clocks in at about a negative 10,000 on my believability scale., Russian drones in Ireland at around a negative 50 or so, and people misidentifying airplanes as drones at a positive 90. (Ireland existing is around a positive 100. I've seen Ireland myself and so am certain it exists, while I have not seen somebody misidentify a plane as a drone myself, I have only seen multiple examples second or third hand.)

and so are aborigines and log canoes, but that doesn't mean they are in Ireland

Aboriginal people of Ireland had canoes, carved out of single oak logs and still found in peat bogs and such from time to time. I've seen one or two in an Irish museum. Yes, I know, that's not what you meant -- but my "Well Actually Guy" system was activated and, once activated, cannot be blocked... ^_^

 

[John J.]

"Shadow fleet" in essence means tankers and freighters not insured by Lloyds in Britain, as they're under sanctions. They're insured elsewhere though.

That isn't quite correct. The Russian "shadow fleet" can't get Western insurers (not just Lloyds) due to sanctions placed on Russia by the G7 and EU.

The Russian shadow fleet is a clandestine network of hundreds of vessels operated by Russia to evade policing, following the enactment of 2022 Russian crude oil price cap sanctions by the G7 countries and European Union,[2]​ in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_shadow_fleet

 

[dBm]

Also agreed. But with the note that aliens in flying saucers clocks in at about a negative 10,000 on my believability scale., Russian drones in Ireland at around a negative 50 or so, and people misidentifying airplanes as drones at a positive 90.

I agree with you - maybe my ratings are a bit different (although I can also confirm Ireland exists) - but basically, there is so much we don't know, that I am sitting on the fence about this particular case.

I know aircraft were orbiting in the same general airspace, I know how easy it is to mistake a light in the night sky for something it is not - especially if, because of the particular circumstances, you are primed to do so.

So that possibility must be very high up the list of considerations.

But for all of that, I personally cannot rule out that there were drones - at this stage.

 

[JMartJr]

But for all of that, I personally cannot rule out that there were drones - at this stage.

Fair. If we're just saying there might have been some sort of drone in the mix, that is pretty plausible but not yet supported by available evidence. The idea that there were giant mystery drones from an unknown military (but probably Russian) that seems a lot less likely,to me at least.

Drone flaps seem to be the new UFO flap, and as there seems to be a decent one going on in Western Europe at the moment, that's a reasonable first suspicion inches specific case. Especially in the continuing absence of solid evidence of actual mystery drones.

 

[stevewhite]

Irish Times the so called 'paper of record' for Ireland says the 'Drones passed within 500m of naval ship during Zelenskiy visit'

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/...in-500m-of-naval-ship-during-zelenskiy-visit/

Is description of the Yeats '13 nautical miles out' useful?

Senior gardaí [police] 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.

If they are suggesting they could have hit planes does that mean they were looking at the supposed drones between themselves and these circling planes? Could they mistake the planes for drones then?

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.

They compare this incident to the recent French submarine drone reports

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.

Has the author considered what was actually used in that case as discussed in another thread here. https://www.metabunk.org/threads/drones-reported-over-Île-longue-submarine-base-france.14617/#post-358847

First politician I've seen call for footage to be released, Barry Andrews is a government party Member of the European Pariliament,

Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Andrews has called for the footage to be released to the public in the name of transparency.

 

[jarlrmai]

Firing 20mm cannons into public sea/airspace is something that should never happen without a direct and immediate dire threat to life.

Theoretically how would they be aimed in this situation by RADAR or optics? What are the practicalities of shooting at a drone with 20mm auto-cannons? Surely the same data used to aim the guns at night would be the the evidence there was drones? Otherwise you are shooting at ghosts?

I'm astonished that the US seemed to show more restraint than various EU states during the NJ drone flap.

This flap is a little odd as it seems the public is not really involved as much any more, it's more nervous military personal, a side affect of Russia's war of invasion?

 

[dBm]

The 20mm cannons on the Irish vessels are manually operated by crew on deck, unlike more modern types in service elsewhere that can be operated remotely.

They did not fire any rounds, so they showed plenty of restraint - and too much for some, apparently.

To @stevewhite 's point - the French used jammers to try and disable the suspected drones over their installation - and it would seem to make a lot of sense for the Irish vessels to be similarly equipped, e.g. having non kinetic responses, before resorting to filling the sky with 20mm rounds.

 

[jarlrmai]

So using basically iron sights?

 

[dBm]

So using basically iron sights?

Exactly.

Source: https://vimeo.com/309433513


The vessel is equipped with an EO/IR turret & maritime radars, but they are only linked to the 76mm afaik.

 

[Mendel]

This is the UFO report template, except the aliens are Russians and the UFOs are "drones".
Sure, it's possible in theory, but too unlikely to be true in practice.

But for all of that, I personally cannot rule out that there were drones - at this stage.

And this argument, too, follows the UFO template. "You can't prove it's not aliens."
There needs to be evidence to rule something in. The options that can't be ruled out are endless.

Theoretically how would they be aimed in this situation by RADAR or optics? What are the practicalities of shooting at a drone with 20mm auto-canons? Surely the same data used to aim the guns at night would be the the evidence there was drones? Otherwise you are shooting at ghosts?

The Gepard anti-air tank has two 40 mm autocannons and a radar, and reportedly works well against actual drones in Ukraine.

 

[dBm]

@Mendel you appear to have great certainty that there were no drones and that it makes no sense that Russia would do something like this.

That's fine and you are entitled to your opinion. I'm just not so certain.

For all I know, the Irish naval service could have EO/IR footage of the drones and laser ranging showing them within 500m, etc. etc.

Or, equally, they might only have handheld footage of lights in the sky, which could be misidentifications of aircraft and there were no drones.

Of course, if footage is released of drones (a huge if) I am sure many people will immediately pivot to saying it can't be proven that it was Russia and it was probably the British.

So believe whatever you want - I have no certainty about this case, I'm just keeping an open mind at this point.

 

[Mendel]

@Mendel you appear to have great certainty that there were no drones and that it makes no sense that Russia would do something like this.

That's fine and you are entitled to your opinion. I'm just not so certain.

Not quite.
I have great certainty that we haven't seen any hard evidence that there were drones (nor trustworthy reports of such, e.g. "the Yeats identified four drones with its radar equipment" is not claimed).
I have great certainty that there is no pay-off for Russia to do this, no evidence linking Russia to it, and Putin's reaction (to the initial Copenhagen sighting) was consistent with that.

There is no reason to talk about Russian drones in this context, except for exterior motivations. (Again, compare UFOlogy.)

Cursed is he that does not know when to shut his mind. An open mind is all very well in its way, but it ought not to be so open that there is no keeping anything in or out of it. It should be capable of shutting its doors sometimes, or it may be found a little draughty.

Samuel Butler, 1908, via https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/04/13/open-mind/

 

[dBm]

Not quite.
I have great certainty that we haven't seen any hard evidence that there were drones (nor trustworthy reports of such, e.g. "the Yeats identified four drones with its radar equipment" is not claimed).
I have great certainty that there is no pay-off for Russia to do this, no evidence linking Russia to it, and Putin's reaction (to the initial Copenhagen sighting) was consistent with that.

There is no reason to talk about Russian drones in this context, except for exterior motivations. (Again, compare UFOlogy.)

The Yeats does not have an air search radar of any kind.

What was the pay off of the Russian vessel Yantar, which is operated by GUGI, going to the Irish Sea in November 2024 and lurking over data cables and a gas interconnector that is vital to Ireland's power grid, in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone?

 

[Mendel]

What was the pay off of the Russian vessel Yantar, which is operated by GUGI, going to the Irish Sea in November 2024 and lurking over data cables and a gas interconnector that is vital to Ireland's power grid, in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone?

What does that have to do with the Zelensky visit?

Cursed is he that does not know when to shut his mind. An open mind is all very well in its way, but it ought not to be so open that there is no keeping anything in or out of it. It should be capable of shutting its doors sometimes, or it may be found a little draughty.

Samuel Butler, 1908, via https://quoteinvestigator.com/2014/04/13/open-mind/