Putin denies plans for attacks against Europe: “We have no reason”

O russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, assured this Friday that “he is not preparing any military action against Europe”, after it had been advanced that the CIA, an American intelligence agency, had warned several European countries about possible Russian attacks.

“I want to emphasise once again: we are not preparing for any military action against Europe. We have no such plans and, most importantly, we have no reason to do so, no real incentives to aggravate the situation with Europe,” the Russian President said in statements to journalists quoted by the news agency Interfax.

According to the Russian President, the news about a possible attack “are certainly a deliberate exaggeration of the situation and a provocation”. 

“ Everyone is saying, many in Europe, that they expect an attack by the Russian Federation and that they must therefore prepare for military action, for war with Russia,” he added.

On Thursday, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the United States will have shared information with several European governments about possible drone attacks that Russia would be preparing against Spain, France or Italy.

Unmanned aircraft would be launched from the sea from merchant ships, told the newspaper a source close to the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania on condition that it was not identified.

The three possible targets held elections in 2027 and Russia may want to exploit in their favour the participation of radical political forces, justified analysts.

Russia considers that the supply of arms, intelligence and military advisors to Ukraine turns Western countries into conflict participants and legitimate targets.

El Mundo also reported that information on Russian plans has been circulating in the European capitals since the trip of CIA director John Ratcliffe to Moscow on August 25, in which it warned Russia against provocations to NATO.

However, hours later, French President Emmanuel Macron denied that the CIA had transmitted information about a possible attack by Russian drones against Europe, although he considered it possible that France might be the target of an attack attempt.

“ We can deny this information, the CIA did not send this warning ", stressed Macron in a joint interview with TV TF1 and France 2.

But Macron considered it possible that France would be the target of an attempted attack with a drone loaded with explosives, similar to what occurred recently at Leipzig Airport, which Germany attributed to Russia.

France has not yet suffered attacks of this kind, “but when I am asked ‘can this happen?’ my answer is yes,” said the French Head of State in the interview, adding that Russia considers that ‘Europe is the strategic depth of Ukraine’.

[News updated at 7:21 p.m.]