Bangladesh, Sept. 26 -- A dramatic report claiming that the CIA had warned several European governments of a possible Russian drone attack launched from merchant ships in the Mediterranean has been publicly challenged by senior officials in Italy and France.

The report, published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo on September 24, alleged that US intelligence had shared information about a possible Russian operation targeting Italy, France and Spain. According to the newspaper's account, drones could potentially be transported aboard commercial vessels and launched from the Mediterranean against European targets. The report attributed the information to an anonymous source described as being close to Lithuania's Defense Ministry.

The cl...