EMET NEWS PRESS

EL MUNDO reports that US intelligence agencies gathered information about a possible escalation and passed it to European governments. Its correspondent Xavier Colás cites people familiar with the warning and an unnamed source close to Lithuania’s defence ministry. That source describes drones carried aboard a ship and launched from it. The newspaper says the governments of Spain, France and Italy were also informed. None has publicly confirmed the contents of the reported warning.

The aircraft identified by EL MUNDO is the Russian Gerbera drone. It is about two metres long, has a wingspan of roughly 2.5 metres and a reported maximum speed of 160km/h. Its stated maximum range is 600km, although the distance it can fly depends on conditions and payload. Carrying an explosive charge may reduce that range.

Russia has used Gerbera drones to draw the attention of air defences. Versions equipped for reconnaissance or carrying a small explosive charge have also been identified. The name of the drone alone therefore does not establish what role it would have in a possible operation. The published account of the warning does not identify a particular version.

There is independent evidence that Russia has launched a drone from a ship. In February, Sweden’s armed forces confirmed that a drone took off from the Russian intelligence-gathering vessel Zhigulevsk as it passed through the Öresund strait. A Swedish naval vessel detected the activity, and the armed forces subsequently classified the flight as unauthorised. The incident occurred during a visit by the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to Malmö. Sweden did not identify the drone as a Gerbera or link the incident to any prospective operation in southern Europe.

The Swedish account establishes a precedent for a launch at sea. It does not establish what information underpins the warning reported by EL MUNDO. It is not publicly known whether US agencies have identified ships, personnel, preparations or potential targets. The intelligence report itself has not been released. EL MUNDO says several defence analysts it consulted were aware of a detailed CIA report circulating among European governments; the evidence and judgments within it cannot be independently examined from the material made public.

Intelligence warnings can inform protective measures and carry a political message. The available evidence does not show what part either consideration played in this case. For now, the central claim remains EL MUNDO’s report of a US warning to European governments. Whether Russia has authorised or begun preparing the operation it describes remains unknown.

GLOSSARY

Gerbera: A Russian drone used in several configurations, including as a decoy. Reconnaissance and lightly armed variants have also been identified. Its stated maximum range does not apply equally to every payload.

Intelligence warning: Information passed to governments for assessment or action. The underlying evidence may remain classified; the existence of a reported warning does not establish that the operation it describes has been ordered.

Maritime launch: The release of a drone from a vessel at sea. Sweden has documented one Russian shipboard launch; the type of drone involved was not identified.

REFERENCES

EL MUNDO, Xavier Colás, “La CIA alerta de un ataque ruso con drones contra España, Francia o Italia”, updated 23 September 2026. The Spanish original was reviewed directly.

Swedish Armed Forces, confirmation of a drone launch from the Russian vessel Zhigulevsk in the Öresund, 27 February 2026.

Reuters, Gerbera specifications and known variants, 10 September 2025.

Institute for Science and International Security, analysis of the Gerbera’s construction and variants, including the effect an explosive payload may have on range.