What we know about CIA warning of Russian drone threat to southern Europe
The US has warned southern states of a possible Moscow attack that would see Russia fire 600 km-range drones from commercial ships at Spain, France and Italy. We examine what is known and how the threat is mounting.
US intelligence agencies have cautioned Spain, France, and Italy that Russia may be preparing to deploy drones from merchant ships in the Mediterranean, according to the Spanish news outlet El Mundo. The report, based on sources close to Lithuania's Defense Ministry and analysts familiar with a CIA assessment, details how Russia may be using these floating platforms to launch Gerbera drones at one of the three nations.
Such an attack, if confirmed, would signal Russia's willingness to expand its campaign of sabotage, airspace incursions, and other provocations against European states backing Ukraine. While the CIA and the three governments have not officially confirmed the threat, El Mundo notes that Russia has been increasingly targeting European countries supporting Ukraine without crossing the threshold of open conflict with NATO.
The reported Gerbera drones, with a 4–5 kilogram explosive payload, could potentially cause damage to infrastructure, airports, or ports along NATO's southern coast, although the impact on large facilities may be limited. The article also highlights the political context, noting that all three countries are set to hold elections in 2027, with populist forces that could exploit fears related to Ukraine in France and Italy.
Defense analysts suggest that frontline states may not be the primary targets, but rather the weakest points in Europe's defense infrastructure. This warning aligns with other recent incidents, such as the stray drones in Polish airspace and the explosive-carrying drone incident at Leipzig airport, both attributed to Russia. As the conflict has now spilled into the Mediterranean through Russia's oil shipments and naval presence, and potentially via Ukrainian operations, the Mediterranean is becoming an increasingly significant theater of the war.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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