The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has warned European governments about a possible Russian plan to launch drones from commercial vessels in the Mediterranean, with Spain, France and Italy reportedly among the potential targets. The alleged operation could involve drones being concealed aboard merchant ships and launched from international waters towards targets along the European coast.According to a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the suspected Russian operation would use commercial vessels as covert drone launch platforms, with the drones reportedly targeting airports, ports and other critical infrastructure.The drones could reportedly be hidden inside shipping containers and launched from the vessels using a compact catapult system, allowing them to approach European targets from the sea. The reported aim would be to cause disruption and damage rather than carry out a large-scale conventional attack.The drone at the centre of the reported operation is the Russian Gerbera, a relatively small unmanned aircraft that has been used by Russian forces in the war in Ukraine. According to Defense News, the drone has a wingspan of about 2.5 metres and a reported range of up to 600 km.The Gerbera is designed as a low-cost, lightweight drone and has also been used as a decoy to complicate Ukrainian air-defence operations. Its relatively small size could make it easier to transport and conceal aboard commercial vessels, which is central to the reported Mediterranean scenario.Also read: Russia targets Ukraine’s digital nerve centres as war reaches data infrastructureWhy the threat could be significantThe reported threat could be significant because it would potentially allow drones to be launched from commercial vessels operating among normal maritime traffic, making the launch platform harder to identify and monitor.The use of international waters could further complicate detection and attribution. European authorities would have to monitor not only their airspace but also a large number of civilian vessels moving across the Mediterranean.The Gerbera’s reported range of up to 600 km could also give such vessels considerable flexibility in choosing a launch position. A drone launched offshore could approach European targets from an unexpected direction, potentially challenging existing air-defence and surveillance systems.The threat also raised concerns about disruption rather than sheer destructive power. Even a relatively small drone striking an airport, port, energy facility or other critical infrastructure could temporarily halt operations, cause economic losses and create wider public-security concerns.
