US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have alerted European governments about a potential Russian drone attack targeting Spain, France, or Italy. The warning came after CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow on August 25, 2026. Russia is reportedly preparing to launch Gerbera drones from merchant ships concealed within containers in the Mediterranean Sea, with the drones having a reported range of up to 600 km and capable of causing localized damage such as fires or temporary closure of airports or ports. The operation aims to achieve political, economic, and material disruption and to test NATO's response thresholds. European governments and the Baltic states, including Lithuania, share these concerns. The heightened alert follows earlier Russian drone and sabotage incidents in Europe. The warning coincides with political sensitivities in targeted countries due to upcoming 2027 elections and the presence of pro-Kremlin political factions. British authorities separately detained five men near Fairford airbase over an alleged terror plot, possibly linked to Iranian actors, amid elevated security tensions involving Western-US-Iran conflict dynamics.

US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, have alerted European governments about a potential Russian drone attack targeting Spain, France, or Italy. The warning came after CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow on August 25, 2026. Russia is reportedly preparing to launch Gerbera drones from merchant ships concealed within containers in the Mediterranean Sea, with the drones having a reported range of up to 600 km and capable of causing localized damage such as fires or temporary closure of airports or ports. The operation aims to achieve political, economic, and material disruption and to test NATO's response thresholds. European governments and the Baltic states, including Lithuania, share these concerns. The heightened alert follows earlier Russian drone and sabotage incidents in Europe. The warning coincides with political sensitivities in targeted countries due to upcoming 2027 elections and the presence of pro-Kremlin political factions. British authorities separately detained five men near Fairford airbase over an alleged terror plot, possibly linked to Iranian actors, amid elevated security tensions involving Western-US-Iran conflict dynamics.