Russia accused of 18-month drone surveillance campaign over European nuclear sites
Researchers have accused Russia of running an 18-month drone surveillance campaign targeting nuclear and military sites across several European countries. The analysis, published on 2 July, says 144 incidents were examined and that the pattern stretched across the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The report says the activity involved repeated drone sightings over sensitive locations, including airbases and nuclear-related facilities.
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The International Institute of Strategic Studies said the incidents began in late 2024 and showed Russian intelligence operating with what it described as substantial impunity. According to the analysis, drones were repeatedly seen over airbases and airports, but none were captured or shot down by western militaries. The report said this exposed a strategic failure in Nato air defences that had been quietly acknowledged across Europe.
Among the sites named were RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, which was being prepared to house US nuclear weapons, and France's Île Longue base in Brittany, home to the country's sea-launched nuclear missile arsenal. The report also referred to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and at least two other US air force bases in England. It said unusual drones flew low into those sites in late November 2024, while five drones were detected over Île Longue in December 2025.
The findings matter because they point to sustained surveillance of some of Europe's most sensitive military infrastructure. Nuclear sites are among the most closely guarded facilities in Nato countries, and repeated incursions raise questions about airspace security, attribution and deterrence. The report also suggests the incidents were not isolated, but part of a broader cross-border pattern affecting multiple states.
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The analysis said the drones were believed to have been launched from shadow fleet vessels at sea, including ships identified in the report as the Seasons 1 tanker and the Hav Dolphin cargo vessel. It said the Hav Dolphin was also suspected of being linked to drone sightings at a submarine base in northern Germany the following May. The report added that a police helicopter tried to track drones entering the UK on one occasion but withdrew for safety reasons, and that the use of an anti-drone laser was suggested but not taken forward.
European governments have been cautious about publicly blaming Russia for the incidents, but the report said officials privately welcomed its publication. It also noted that US nuclear weapons were deployed at Lakenheath in July 2025, adding to the site's strategic importance. What remains unclear is how many of the incidents can be directly attributed, whether the same vessels were involved throughout, and what further defensive measures European militaries may now adopt.
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