Media: Russia may be preparing attacks on EU countries using drones
Spanish outlet El Mundo reports Russia may be preparing drone strikes on Spain, Italy and France from shadow fleet vessels, though Italy's defense minister has denied the claims.
Several major international media outlets are reporting on alleged Russian preparations for attacks and provocations against European countries, even as European political circles appear to remain calm about the situation.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo published a report on Thursday claiming that Russia is preparing strikes against Southern European countries using drones launched from so-called shadow fleet vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. Spain, Italy and France were named as possible targets. According to the report, the intelligence originated from the CIA, and European states were reportedly briefed on it shortly after CIA Director John Ratcliffe's trip to Moscow in late August.
European Commission response
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said at a press briefing on Thursday that the Commission is aware of these reports. He noted this is why initiatives such as anti-drone defense systems, an "air shield" and a "space shield" have been proposed, aimed at strengthening the resilience of member states. Regnier stressed that the matter falls under the competence of national authorities, though the Commission has extensive experience supporting member states when needed.
Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, however, denied the El Mundo report, writing on social media platform X that such reports benefit no one and have no factual basis. He added that current times are already tense enough without adding more fuel to the fire.
Danish intelligence warning
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Danish military intelligence expects Russia to intensify hybrid actions against Western countries and NATO in the coming months. The agency assesses that attacks could become more frequent and have more serious consequences, including destructive cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and sabotage operations carrying a high risk of casualties.
Igor Gretskiy, a researcher at the International Centre for Defence and Security, previously noted that the main problem is Europe's insufficiently firm response to Russian provocations. He warned that without a tough reaction from European governments, Russia will keep using such actions as leverage in negotiations, including on Ukraine, to extract concessions. For deterrence to work, he said, Western countries must demonstrate political resolve.
