This is the worst-case scenario; The first strike on European capitals will come in less than two hours

The newspaper also reported that U.S. intelligence agencies had gathered information about Kremlin plans to escalate drone attacks and had informed several European governments.

“They will use drones launched from the sea, concealed inside shipping containers; it is not difficult to carry out at all,” a source close to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, a Baltic NATO member that could also be a Russian target, told the Spanish newspaper.

It was also reported that Lithuanian authorities know what type of drone the Russians could potentially use against Spain, France or Italy.

It is believed that the drone in question is the “Gerbera”, a simplified Russian version of the Iranian Shahed-136 kamikaze drone, with a stated range of 600 kilometers.

The media further point out that a single commercial vessel could carry several of these drones, which can be launched with considerably less difficulty than standard Shahed drones, Kurir reported.

After being launched from a distance of 200 or 300 kilometers from the coast, the drone’s flight would last approximately between one hour and 15 minutes and two hours, depending on its speed.

Its small explosive payload, weighing four to five kilograms, would not be sufficient to destroy a large structure, but it could start a fire, damage unprotected equipment, or cause a temporary closure of a port or airport.

The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which republished El Mundo’s report, states that, according to a map published by the Spanish newspaper, the entirety of Italy — with the exception of the country’s northeast — is within the range of the Gerbera.

It is reported that Lithuania, along with other countries, was briefed on this information shortly after the mysterious trip by John Ratcliffe, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, to Moscow on August 25.

According to sources familiar with the warning received from U.S. intelligence officials, the governments of Spain, France and Italy were also informed at the time that Russia was preparing a possible drone attack operation against one of these countries.

El Mundo notes that Spain, France and Italy “will have election campaigns and elections in 2027, and radical forces are active in them that are capable of exploiting fear and disillusionment with Ukraine.”

“Particularly in France and Italy, there are connections or views that are clearly aligned with the Kremlin’s interests,” the Spanish daily reports.

It also recalls that Russia has launched an increasingly widespread sabotage campaign in countries supporting Ukraine, apparently aimed at testing the limits of their resilience and gauging the response of NATO member states, while avoiding direct confrontation with the Alliance.

The first major spike in such incidents came with the incursion of 19 drones into Polish airspace last September.

It is reported that a key turning point was the recent incident involving explosive-laden drones at Leipzig Airport, which German authorities attributed to Russian intelligence services.

Meanwhile, the story about launching drones from the sea toward NATO member states was first reported by the Ukrainian website Defense Express a year ago.

It was stated at the time that Gerbera drones would be transported by oil tankers belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” and launched from international waters.

It was also reported that, back in 2020, the Russian drone manufacturer ZALA, a company that is part of the Kalashnikov Concern, conducted its first tests involving the launch of unmanned aerial vehicles from a moving vessel.