Alarm for Russian drone over Italian and European strategic centres

A Russian-made drone has flown over the Ispra headquarters and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre on Lake Maggiore, raising security concerns

A Russian-made drone allegedly flew over the Ispra (Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) headquarters on Lake Maggiore, in the province of Varese, Italy, where the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre is also located. A few kilometres from the area are the factories of Leonardo, a strategic company in the aerospace and defence sector.

The news, anticipated by Il Corriere della Sera, raised concerns among European and Italian authorities. Salvatore De Meo, Member of the Security and Defence Commission in the European Parliament, said: ‘It deserves the utmost attention. We cannot ignore incidents that, if confirmed, could pose a serious risk to national and European security’.

De Meo added that Forza Italia will submit a question to the European Commission in order to shed full light on the incident and check whether protection measures are already in place for the strategic infrastructure of the Italian and EU defence industry. ‘It is crucial to protect our research centres and ensure that they are sheltered from any possible external threat,’ he stressed.

Senator Enrico Borghi, vice-president of Italia Viva, also expressed concern over the Russian drone overflights over sensitive targets, calling for adequate responses and absolute protection of these areas. Borghi announced that Italia Viva will submit a specific parliamentary question to guarantee the safety of Italy’s strategic production and national security.

According to reports, a ‘no-fly zone’ is active over the centre and other surrounding areas. The presence of the drone was reported by managers of the European Joint Research Centre, whose detection system intercepted at least five passages of the device, triggering the alarm. The drone, probably equipped with high-definition cameras and digital instruments capable of taking detailed pictures, even at night, did not return after the overflights.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)