A leaked US intelligence report claims Russia has explored sea-borne drone strikes against southern Europe, raising security concerns for Britons holidaying in Spain, France and Italy.
The warning, revealed by Spanish newspaper El Mundo on Thursday (September 24), says US intelligence has shared details with several countries about a plot “hatched by Russia to use drones against targets” across the Mediterranean.
Drones hidden in shipping containers
According to the leak, the alleged plan would see explosive drones hidden in plain sight inside ordinary shipping containers onboard merchant vessels, then launched from offshore positions in the Mediterranean to hit critical infrastructure.
“The drones could be concealed aboard merchant ships and launched from the Mediterranean,” El Mundo reported, citing people familiar with the warning. It said the three countries’ governments had been informed of a possible attack.
One source described how hard it would be to stop. “They will use drones launched from the sea, concealed in a shipping container aboard a vessel; it is not difficult at all,” a source close to Lithuania’s defense ministry told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
Gerbera drone range
The intelligence assessment centres on a model called the Gerbera drone, which the report says has a maximum range of roughly 600 kilometres (373 miles). That means if launched a few hundred kilometres offshore, strikes could potentially reach the entire eastern half of Spain - including Madrid - almost all of Italy and the southern coast of France, putting transport hubs like ports and airports in the crosshairs, TVP World reported.
The leak claims the warning was linked to a secret visit to Moscow on August 25 by CIA director John Ratcliffe, during which he reportedly warned Russian security chiefs against provocations on NATO territory. El Mundo says details of the resulting CIA report were later shared with European foreign ministries.
Hybrid warfare fears
Security analysts believe the Mediterranean nations were singled out because all three provide military support to Ukraine and face major elections. The theory is that any dramatic escalation - even the fear of one - could be used as hybrid warfare to inflame political instability, exploit “war fatigue” and ramp up public anxiety as tensions over Ukraine continue and World War Three fears swirl.
British analyst Keir Giles, who specialises in Russian military strategy, warned that geography is no guarantee of safety. He told El Mundo that distance from Russia offered little protection and pointed to gaps in Spain’s air and missile defences which he said could leave it exposed.
He said: “It is not necessarily the frontline countries that will be targeted. The target will be wherever Europe’s weakest point is.
“Russia looks at where any action will have the greatest impact because of a lack of resilience, a lack of civil defense and political fragility,” he added.
NATO officials have said they consider the long-term Russian threat to NATO territory active and ongoing, but have urged the public to remain calm while security agencies monitor the situation.
