French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday rejected reports that U.S. intelligence had warned Paris of a potential Russian drone attack launched from the Mediterranean, saying the CIA had issued no such alert to French services.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo late on Wednesday reported the CIA had warned of a Russian drone attack against Spain, France or Italy, launched from ships in the Mediterranean.
"We can refute this information. The CIA did not inform the French services of such an attack," Macron said during an interview with TF1 and France 2.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto had earlier dismissed the report.
"The alarm raised this morning by a Spanish newspaper, which speculates about possible attacks on Italy, Spain, and France by Russian ships and drones, is of no use to anyone and is not backed up by any evidence," he said on X.
"We are already living in difficult and 'nervous' times, and no one needs more fuel thrown on the fire," he added.
European countries have been on high alert for any Russian interference, fearing that Moscow could target Kyiv's Western backers as the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine drags on in its fifth year.
Berlin this month blamed Moscow after explosive-laden drones were discovered at Leipzig airport in August. They could have caused human casualties if they had detonated.
