Italian prosecutors have requested the dismissal of an investigation into alleged Russian drone activity over a European Union research facility, after determining that the supposed flights were the result of signal interference rather than espionage.
Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Milan prosecutors’ office found no evidence of foreign drone operations near the European Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra, northern Italy. The investigation concluded that 21 supposed overflights between March and May 2025 were actually false positives caused by a private GSM phone signal booster operating near the site.
False Alarms Traced to Signal Interference
Authorities had launched the probe in March following multiple alerts from the JRC, which had detected what it believed were unauthorised aerial incursions. Because flights over the JRC are strictly prohibited due to its sensitive research activities, prosecutors initially suspected possible espionage or military surveillance involving a Russian-made drone.
However, technical analysis revealed that the alerts were triggered by overlapping interference between the research centre’s security sensors and sporadic signals from a mobile phone amplifier installed at a nearby residence.
Case Likely to Be Closed
Prosecutors have now asked a Milan court to formally drop the case. The judge is expected to approve the request, a step that is typically procedural in such instances.
The findings effectively clear the initial suspicions of Russian involvement, which had prompted heightened scrutiny given the broader geopolitical context. NATO allies have repeatedly accused Moscow of conducting hybrid operations—including cyberattacks, sabotage, and espionage—against Western nations. Russia has consistently denied such claims, arguing that they reflect anti-Russian bias.
Background on the Ispra Research Facility
Located near Lake Maggiore, the Ispra JRC campus is the European Commission’s third-largest research site after Brussels and Luxembourg. Established in 1960 as a nuclear research facility, it now hosts a wide range of scientific programmes focusing on nuclear safety, space, sustainable resource management, migration, and transport policy.
The case’s dismissal is likely to reassure local authorities and EU institutions that the incident posed no security threat, while highlighting how modern signal interference can complicate the detection of genuine aerial intrusions.
with inputs from Reuters