France opens fire on drones over nuclear submarine base — Le Figaro

On Thursday evening, December 4, several unidentified drones flew over the Ile Longue submarine base (Finistère), where French nuclear deterrent forces' nuclear submarines equipped with ballistic missiles are stationed.

Five unidentified drones were technically detected on Thursday evening, around 7:30 p.m., over the base, which borders the port of Brest.

"An operation to combat the drones and a search operation were launched. The marine battalion responsible for protecting the base carried out several strikes against the drones," the statement says.

In recent months, Northern Europe has seen an increasing number of drone flights over airports and other sensitive areas, including military ones.

Such incidents also occur in the Île Longue area.

For example, on the night of November 17-18, a drone was reported flying over the Crozon Peninsula, where Île Longue is located, although it did not enter military territory.

Île Longue base

The base on the island is the forward operating base for the French nuclear deterrent system, providing technical maintenance for four French submarines, at least one of which is permanently at sea to ensure nuclear deterrence. It is guarded by 120 marine gendarmes in cooperation with the marines.

Drones in Europe

Recently, a number of European countries have recorded an increasing number of cases of drones appearing over critical infrastructure facilities.

They are most often spotted near military bases, energy infrastructure, airports, and ports in Northern and Western Europe.

In most cases, the origin of the drones remains unknown, and their flights are considered potential reconnaissance or provocative actions.

According to the WSJ, such incidents are part of an intensified campaign that, according to European leaders, Russia is waging against the continent because Europe is supporting Ukraine. The campaign includes sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation.

Ukrainian intelligence has determined that many suspicious drones are launched from tankers belonging to Russia's so-called shadow fleet.