Nocturnal 
A reported CIA warning claims Russia could be preparing drone attacks on Spain, France or Italy – three of Britain’s most popular holiday destinations – using explosive-laden drones launched from ships at sea.
The claim was first reported by Spanish newspaper El Mundo and later picked up by The Independent, which said several European governments had received information about possible Russian plans to escalate operations across the continent. The Independent said it could not independently verify that a CIA report actually existed.
According to the report, Lithuanian officials believe Russia could use Gerbera drones – relatively cheap, explosive-carrying drones capable of travelling up to 600 kilometres – fired from vessels disguised as merchant ships. The theory is that containers could conceal drones launched from 200 to 300 kilometres offshore, potentially striking ports, airports or other infrastructure.
The Gerbera can reportedly carry around four to five kilograms of explosives, which analysts quoted by El Mundo suggested would be more likely to cause disruption than large-scale destruction.
Where does the warning come from?
The alleged intelligence is said to have been shared in the weeks following CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unusual visit to Moscow on 25 August, according to The Telegraph. Reports suggest Vilnius and other European capitals were made aware of the warning shortly afterwards.
Analyst Keir Giles was quoted as saying Moscow would look to exploit “the weakest point in Europe”, reportedly naming Spain, with Spain, France and Italy all due to hold elections in 2027.
Governments push back on the claims
Despite the reports, several of the countries named have denied any confirmation of a specific threat. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto dismissed the alarm as coming from “a Spanish newspaper” that “finds no confirmation”, adding that Italy was already living through “difficult and nervous times” and didn’t need more fuel added to the fire.
French President Emmanuel Macron went further, denying that the CIA had informed French authorities about any such operation at all. The European Commission said it was aware of the media reports but had no knowledge of a specific CIA alert, though spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the claims weren’t a surprise given repeated incidents involving European airspace attributed to Russian hybrid warfare.
In Italy, opposition figures called for clarity, with Deputy Democratic Party leader Lia Quartapelle saying the report “deserves an immediate clarification from the government”, while Matteo Salvini urged calm.
Part of a wider pattern
The reported warning comes amid a string of incidents Western officials have linked to Russia’s alleged hybrid warfare campaign. Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August, identifying a Belarusian citizen and a Russian national allegedly linked to Russian military intelligence as suspects. Britain summoned a senior Russian diplomat over what it called an “egregious and reckless attack”.
Poland also reported a Russian Mi-8 helicopter briefly entering its airspace from Kaliningrad, and a fire at a Starlink facility that officials said was consistent with Moscow’s “evolving hybrid-warfare methods”, though Russian responsibility wasn’t confirmed in that case.
For now, no specific date, location or confirmed operation has been made public. The claims remain unverified, and both France and Italy say they’ve received no such warning through official channels – meaning holidaymakers heading to any of the three countries have no confirmed reason for alarm at this stage.
