Investigations launched after more unexplained drone sightings off two European coasts
By Tim Lister and Billy Stockwell, CNN
(CNN) — Investigations are underway in Ireland and France after two more incidents this week involving unidentified drones flying close to the coastlines of each country.
On Monday night, several drones were seen flying off the coast of Dublin, just as the plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was about to land ahead of his first official visit to Ireland.
On Thursday night, several drones flew close to a French naval base on the Atlantic coast housing nuclear ballistic missile submarines, French prosecutors told local media.
The two incidents are the latest in a string of unexplained sightings in several European countries since September. Some drones have disrupted civilian air traffic, while others have flown close to airbases and other military facilities.
European officials have said that they believe Russia is behind at least some of the incidents, but no drone has been retrieved or shot down.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously ridiculed claims that Moscow was behind drone sightings in Europe.
French prosecutors told French media that none of the drones that flew near the Ile Longue submarine base in northwestern France had been shot down and none of their pilots identified. It is not clear where the drones came from.
Prosecutor Frederic Teillet told AFP that “no link with foreign interference” had been established at this stage. French marines at the base had used a jammer against the drones, he added.
“An investigation is underway that will determine what this overflight was all about,” French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin told broadcaster TF1 on Friday.
Drone flights are banned on the Crozon peninsula, where the submarine base and other military infrastructure is located.
Irish police have said little about the incident on Monday, telling CNN on Friday that a special detective unit is investigating “and will be liaising with the Defence Forces and international security partners.”
Ukrainian media quoted an adviser to Zelensky, Dmytro Lytvyn, as saying that Ukrainian officials were made aware of the drones, but no action was deemed necessary.
“The host side is responsible for security,” Lytvyn said. “According to their data, there were indeed such drones, but this did not affect the visit and there was no need to force any change to the visit.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the recent spate of incursions “hybrid warfare.”
In September, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that while authorities could not be sure who was behind the incidents, “we can at least conclude that there is primarily one country that poses a threat to Europe’s security – and that is Russia.”
Many of the drone sightings have been close to the coastlines of Baltic and other European nations, raising concerns that Russia may be using ships as drone platforms.
Reuters has previously reported that a Russian ship called the Boracay, one of hundreds of sanctioned tankers that move Russian oil, was about 50 nautical miles (90 km) south of Copenhagen, heading out of the Baltic Sea, when drone activity forced the closure of the city’s airport on September 22.
It was also observed traveling south along Denmark’s western coast on September 24, when drones were reported flying north of Esbjerg and near several nearby airports, according to Reuters.
The Kremlin said at the time it had no information about the vessel but added that the Russian military had to act sometimes to restore order when foreign countries had taken what spokesman Dmitry Peskov described as “provocative actions.”
The Boracay was subsequently boarded by French authorities and its Chinese captain charged with failing to provide proof of the vessel’s nationality and failing to comply with orders.
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