Macron made the remarks on Sept. 24 during an interview with French broadcaster RTL.
The president was asked to comment on a report by Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the CIA had provided French authorities with information about possible Russian drone strikes against the country.
“We can deny this information; the CIA did not inform French authorities about such an attack,” Macron said.
At the same time, Macron said Europe’s security situation was “becoming increasingly tense” and was a cause for concern. He referred to an attempted drone attack at an airport in Leipzig, Germany, and said France had not experienced similar incidents, although the threat exists.
According to Macron, Russia is intensifying “hostile and sometimes criminal actions” toward European countries.
Macron also said he considered the possible mobilization of 300,000 people in Russia to be a “plausible scenario.”
El Mundo reported that the CIA had warned European governments about a possible Russian drone attack on Spain, France, or Italy. The attack could be launched from vessels in the Mediterranean Sea, the newspaper reported. Russia could use Gerbera drones with a range of up to 600 kilometers, according to the report.
The article said Lithuania, along with other countries, received the information shortly after a mysterious Aug. 25 visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
According to sources familiar with the warning, the
governments of Spain, France, and Italy were also informed about Russia’s
plans.