Vladimir Putin is plotting to target European holiday hotspots with drone attacks from the sea, the CIA is said to have warned.
Russia is believed to be turning its attention to the Mediterranean and western Europe after targeting eastern Europe and the Baltic states.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo claims Moscow is weighing up a move to target key infrastructure, including airports, using drones launched from merchant ships at sea.
Launching the aircraft from container ships could allow Mr Putin’s drones to reach all of eastern Spain – including Madrid – as well as Andalucia.
The vast majority of Italy, with the exception of the northeastern part of the country, and the south of France would also lie within the strike zone.
Countries across Europe are bracing for “mass casualty events” thanks to the “step up” in Moscow’s aggression, with preparations underway for a ramping up of confrontational messaging and violence.
American intelligence is said to have issued warnings to France, Spain and Italy about the possibility of Russian attacks in southern Europe amid escalating tensions between Nato and Moscow.
An insider close to Lithuania’s defence ministry told El Mundo: “They will use drones launched from the sea, concealed in shipping containers; it is not difficult at all.”
Vladimir Putin is plotting to target European holiday hotspots with drone attacks from the sea, according to US intelligence
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REUTERS
The Baltic state has drawn up plans for a mass evacuation of civilians in the event of a confrontation with Moscow, with Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius saying his people feel “constantly threatened” earlier this week.
Lithuanian officials are said to have been told that Russia could use launch a Gerbera drone with a catapult in potential attacks from the sea.
Although the Gerbera is only around two metres long, it can travel at almost 100mph and has a range of roughly 373 miles.
The drone is not believed to be powerful enough to completely destroy infrastructure, but a strike could force a port or an airport to shut down temporarily.
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The CIA is said to have issued warnings France, Spain and Italy about the possibility of Russian attacks in southern Europe
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GETTY“We believe that Russia is feeling a degree of pressure right now that is remarkably high, probably the highest at any point during the war and at any point during Vladimir Putin’s leadership positions in Russia,” a senior Nato source told The Telegraph.
They continued: “It seems that, from the Kremlin’s perspective, the best option that they have is to step up the hybrid campaign that they have been waging against the West.
“That includes more aggressive messaging and much more of the harder aspects of a hybrid campaign.”
The Nato insider also suggested that Moscow’s escalation against European states was down to “the fact that the allies are doing more for their own defence as well as more in support of Ukraine”.
On Thursday, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte insisted that the alliance was “ready” for Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics.
On Thursday, Nato general secretary Mark Rutte insisted that the alliance was ‘ready’ for Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics
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REUTERSHe said: “Russia is doing more and more when it comes to the cyber etc domain, but… Nato is ready for this.
“We have all these response options in place… when it comes to hybrids to make sure that we stay strong,”
The Nato chief added that any hybrid attack should be met with allies giving “more support” to Ukraine, suggesting such a move would send a strong “signal” to Moscow.
The CIA’s warnings to Paris, Rome and Madrid come just weeks after the agency’s director, John Ratcliffe, travelled to Moscow for secret in-person talks with Russia.
The intelligence chief allegedly made the trip to warn Russia against attacking or provoking Nato allies, according to media reports.
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