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Study Links Drone Incursions at European Bases to Russian Intelligence
A new assessment concludes that recent drone flights over several Royal Air Force installations were likely part of a coordinated intelligence operation. The report points to commercial vessels as possible launch platforms but notes the evidence remains circumstantial.
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The assessment identifies RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Fairford, and RAF Feltwell as sites of the incursions. It states that Russian-linked commercial vessels, including ships from the so-called shadow fleet, likely served as launch and recovery platforms.
The report relies on open-source and circumstantial evidence. It adds that no European government has publicly linked any specific vessel to an individual drone flight.
The IISS analysis describes how the vessels could enable intelligence collection while preserving plausible deniability. The study does not name any individual ship or provide direct proof of involvement. The findings have been cited by defense analysts examining patterns of drone activity near military sites across Europe.
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