00:00This is Sangsik Beik with Sangsik Foreign Language.
00:02The US government intelligence agencies have reportedly warned European countries about
00:05the possibility of new Russian drone attacks. Spain, southern France, and Italy were mentioned.
00:09The scenario reportedly shared by the US side is that Russia could use merchant ships to launch
00:13drones from the Mediterranean Sea. It doesn't necessarily mean that an actual attack is
00:17imminent yet, but since US intelligence agencies have mentioned specific attack methods and the
00:20types of drones that could be used, there is analysis that Europe is taking this issue very
00:23seriously. The model currently being focused on by the European side is the Russian-made drone
00:27known as Egg, or Gerbera. It is about 2 meters long, weighs up to 18 kilograms, and is known to
00:32be able to fly up to 600 kilometers at a speed of about 160 kilometers per hour. The explosive payload
00:37is known to be around 4 to 5 kilograms, so it is different in nature from weapons designed to
00:41destroy large military facilities in a single strike. Instead, there is a possibility that it
00:45could be used to attack facilities like airports, ports, communication facilities, or energy facilities
00:49where an operational shutdown would cause economic damage. In particular, an important part of this
00:53scenario is that the drone is not launched from land. If the drone is hidden on a merchant ship
00:57and launched from the European coast, it becomes difficult to immediately identify the attacker,
01:01and it is hard to respond using only the existing border surveillance systems. If Russia actually
01:04uses this method, European countries will face a greater burden of having to monitor not only
01:08military facilities, but also civilian ships and areas around ports. In addition, since drones
01:12themselves are relatively small and not very fast, there are concerns that in areas where detection
01:16and interception systems are insufficient, the response time could be limited. So why Spain, France,
01:21and Italy? Kiyo Charles, a Russian military strategy expert from the UK, mentioned that Russia is more likely to look
01:26for
01:26weaknesses in Europe's defenses rather than just targeting geographically closer areas.
01:30In particular, countries like Spain, where there is debate over whether their integrated
01:33air defense systems can adequately respond to this type of drone threat, have been mentioned.
01:37NATO Secretary-General Marc Marcredo has also previously warned that Southern Europe cannot be
01:41considered safe just because it is far from Russia. In addition, the political situation is also being
01:46mentioned as a variable. Spain, France, and Italy are all facing elections in 2027. Therefore, if an actual attack
01:52occurs, it is being analyzed that not only physical damage, but also increased public anxiety and social
01:57debate could result, and it could even affect political conflicts within Europe surrounding the
02:01war in Ukraine. However, this analysis should be distinguished from the actual attack plans
02:04confirmed by government authorities, and based on the currently available information, it cannot be
02:08concluded that Russia has actually decided to carry out an attack.
