According to “El Mundo”, it is a US intelligence report that has been forwarded to several European governments and that describes a scenario in which Russia could use drones launched from merchant ships in the Mediterranean Sea. The information is related, according to the Spanish newspaper, to the visit of CIA director John Ratcliffe to Moscow on August 25. “El Mundo” reports that after this visit, European authorities were informed of the possible scenario.
The scenario described is particularly unusual: The drones could be transported hidden in containers on merchant ships and launched from the sea, avoiding the need to cross land borders. A source close to the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, quoted by El Mundo, said that such a use case would not be particularly difficult to implement.
According to anonymous sources from the Lithuanian Defense Ministry cited by the newspaper, the drone that could be used in such an operation would be the “Gerbera”. It is a relatively small vehicle, about two meters long, with a wingspan of about 2.5 meters and a weight of up to 18 kilograms. According to data published by Reuters, the “Gerbera” has a declared range of up to 600 kilometers and a maximum speed of about 160 kilometers per hour.
The Gerbera is not a new system for European authorities. On September 16, a drone of this type was shot down in Lithuania by an Italian NATO fighter jet. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the drone was most likely headed for Ukraine and could have been diverted from its course as a result of Ukrainian electronic warfare. At the same time, Polish authorities announced that they had found another Gerbera 2 on the Baltic Sea coast, equipped with a warhead.
According to reports, the explosive load of the "Gerbera" is relatively limited, around 4 to 5 kilograms. For this reason, the scenario described by "El Mundo" is not necessarily related to mass destruction, but to an attack that could cause a fire, damage equipment or temporarily disrupt activity at an airport, port or other critical facility.
The fact that a drone could be launched from a sea platform is not just hypothetical. In February of this year, the Swedish Armed Forces confirmed that they had detected a Russian drone that had been launched from the Russian intelligence ship “Zhigulevsk” in the Oresund Strait. The Swedish military intervened with countermeasures to interrupt its flight. The incident occurred during the visit to Malmö of the French aircraft carrier “Charles de Gaulle”.
Another element that has added to the concern in Europe is the incident at Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany. German authorities have been investigating a failed drone attack on a Ukrainian plane and the investigation has uncovered clues that point to the Russian military intelligence service GRU, according to documents reported by Welt and analyzed by Euronews. French President Emmanuel Macron has also cited the Leipzig incident as part of concerns about Russian hybrid activities.
In Poland, meanwhile, in September 2025, authorities reported an airspace violation by a group of about 20 drones. Reuters reported that some of them were of the “Gerbera” type, linking the system to Russian efforts to overwhelm air defenses.
According to experts quoted by "El Mundo", the concern is not only related to the distance from Russia, but also to the weaknesses that may exist in the protection of critical infrastructure. British analyst Keir Giles has argued that in a hybrid war scenario, Russia may seek the weakest point of the European security system and not necessarily a state located near Russian territory.
The warning comes at a time when European countries are reporting an increase in incidents related to sabotage, espionage, cyberattacks and the use of drones. Italy, France and Spain are also part of the wider European debate on protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening counter-drone capabilities.
In Spain, moreover, the next parliamentary elections are not expected to take place until 2027, while Italy has parliamentary elections expected that same year. France will have presidential elections in 2027, but the next elections for the National Assembly are not scheduled for that year.
In the case of Spain, the issue of defense is particularly sensitive due to the debate over military spending and NATO objectives. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has stated that he intends to conclude the legislature, while general elections should be held no later than August 2027 if not earlier.
The reporting also mentions the presence of Russian interests and assets in Spain, particularly on the Costa del Sol, but there is no public evidence linking these interests to any specific attack plans.
However, the most important part of the report is that it is not a confirmed attack or an operation with a specific date and target. The CIA has not published the said report and so far there is no public confirmation from the governments of Spain, France or Italy that such an attack is planned.
