El Mundo reports CIA warning of Russian drone plot against Spain, France or Italy; Macron and Crosetto reject claim
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the CIA shared intelligence with several European governments about an alleged Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France, or Italy, with launches from containers hidden on civilian ships in international waters. French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto publicly rejected the report, with Macron saying the CIA did not inform French services about such an attack and Crosetto calling the El Mundo publication baseless.
Key points
- El Mundo cited a source close to Lithuania's Ministry of Defense for the warning about an alleged Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France, or Italy.
- The reported method: Russian 'Gerbera' drones (about 2 m long, 2.5 m wingspan, up to 18 kg, ~160 km/h, stated range 600 km) launched from containers on merchant vessels in international waters.
- French President Emmanuel Macron said the CIA did not inform French services about such an attack; Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the El Mundo publication baseless and harmful.
- El Mundo said the report was distributed shortly after CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow on August 25 aboard a U.S. military aircraft that stopped in Riga.
- El Mundo reported France convened a Defense Council on September 16 and two days later Macron summoned all party leaders and 2027 presidential candidates to the Élysée Palace; after the meeting, National Rally leaders said they would not assist Russia's goals in the war against Ukraine.
- Polish PM Donald Tusk, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, NATO SACEUR Alexus Grynkewich, and Danish military intelligence separately pointed to Russian hybrid-strike planning against states supporting Ukraine.
- Germany attributes a recent armed-drone incident at Leipzig airport to Russian intelligence; about a year earlier, 19 unarmed drones entered Polish airspace.
Why it matters
The report alleges a concrete Russian hybrid-warfare plan against three NATO and EU Mediterranean states ahead of their 2027 elections, and frames the alleged operation as a possible mirror of Ukraine's 'Spider Web' drone strike, drawing a direct line to the war in Ukraine. The public denials by Macron and Crosetto create a visible credibility dispute between U.S.-allied intelligence sharing and senior European officials, while parallel warnings from Poland, Germany, NATO's top commander, and Danish military intelligence underline broader European anxiety about Russian hybrid threats.
What happened
El Mundo published a report claiming the CIA shared intelligence with several European governments about an alleged Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France, or Italy. According to the Spanish daily, the operation would use Russian 'Gerbera' drones, approximately two meters long with a 2.5-meter wingspan, weighing up to 18 kg, flying at about 160 km/h with a stated maximum range of 600 km, launched from containers hidden on board civilian or merchant vessels in international waters. El Mundo cited a source close to Lithuania's Ministry of Defense and said the report was distributed shortly after CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow on August 25 aboard a U.S. military aircraft that stopped in Riga; the Wall Street Journal and Politico reported that the trip was intended to warn Russia against attacks or provocations against NATO. The Spanish daily added that France took the document seriously, convening a Defense Council on September 16 and then summoning leaders of all political parties and 2027 presidential candidates to the Élysée Palace two days later, after which leaders of the far-right National Rally said they would not assist Russia's goals in the war against Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron publicly rejected the claim, stating that the CIA did not inform French services about such an attack, while acknowledging the situation is increasingly tense and warning that a Leipzig-style drone attack could happen in France and that a Russian mobilization of 300,000 troops is a plausible scenario. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also rejected the El Mundo publication as baseless and harmful, writing on X that there was no factual confirmation of possible Russian attacks on Italy, Spain, or France. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich, and Danish military intelligence separately pointed to Russian hybrid-strike planning or sabotage against states supporting Ukraine.
How international sources describe it
International coverage centers on the credibility dispute between El Mundo's reporting and the public denials by Macron and Crosetto, rather than on Russia's intent. European officials have framed the issue primarily through a hybrid-threat and NATO-security lens, with Tusk, Wadephul, SACEUR Grynkewich, and Danish military intelligence all pointing to Russian planning against countries supporting Ukraine. French reporting has emphasized Macron's warning that a Leipzig-style attack is possible in France and his description of a Russian 300,000-troop mobilization as plausible. Italian coverage has emphasized Crosetto's outright rejection of the El Mundo report and his warning against spreading unverified alarms. Several outlets have cited French left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon's framing that Russian escalation in Europe results from Ukrainian "far-reaching attacks" on Russian territory, highlighting political division over the Ukraine war.
Where reporting differs
The sources disagree on whether the CIA actually delivered the warning. El Mundo and unnamed defense analysts describe a detailed CIA report distributed to European foreign ministries; French President Macron publicly stated that "the CIA did not inform French services about such an attack." Sources also disagree on whether the warning has any factual basis for Italy, Spain, or France: Italian Defense Minister Crosetto called the El Mundo publication baseless and harmful, while El Mundo and several defense analysts maintain the report is credible. Finally, El Mundo frames the alleged Russian operation as an attempt to replicate Ukraine's "Spider Web" (Pavutyna) operation; the disputed official statements do not adopt this framing.
Background
El Mundo cited a source close to Lithuania's Ministry of Defense as the origin of the warning. The alleged launch method — 'Gerbera' drones hidden in containers on merchant vessels in international waters — mirrors tactics previously attributed to Russia in other incidents. Germany attributes a recent armed-drone incident at Leipzig airport to Russian intelligence; about a year earlier, 19 unarmed drones entered Polish airspace. CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly visited Moscow on August 25 aboard a U.S. military aircraft that stopped in Riga; the Wall Street Journal and Politico said the trip was meant to warn Russia against attacks or provocations against NATO. Spain, France, and Italy are each scheduled to hold elections in 2027. After Macron's reported Élysée meeting, leaders of France's National Rally said they would not assist Russia's goals in the war against Ukraine. NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich said allies have intensified intelligence sharing amid a wave of sabotage likely linked to Russia, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Danish military intelligence separately pointed to Russian hybrid-strike planning against states supporting Ukraine.