Russian drones on the Portuguese coast

According to information provided by the weekly Expresso, the dispatched drones were conducting reconnaissance missions in the region. “I do not know the exact number of these drones (…), but we are paying attention to everything, we know what is happening, yet we do not discuss matters that are, by their nature, confidential,” Minister Melo commented. He said that the detection of the Russian drones was due to the efforts of the navy and the air force. He also criticised Expresso for earlier disclosing information about the drones’ appearance.

Commentators in Portugal note that Russian drones have never appeared this far south in Europe. They also point to criticism voiced in recent weeks by U.S. authorities, who accuse Portugal of maintaining an inadequate level of security for undersea telecommunications cables running off the country’s coast.

In April, a conference of the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) took place. During the event, U.S. Ambassador to Lisbon John Arrigo demanded that Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s cabinet provide security guarantees for undersea telecommunications networks. Portugal was advised to increase spending and take more effective action in monitoring the seabed.

According to data from the Portuguese military, in 2025 the navy deployed 373 patrol vessels on missions aimed at monitoring Russian naval units and the so-called shadow fleet. Last year, 69 Russian warships were identified off the coast of Portugal. Their presence has intensified significantly as the war in Ukraine has dragged on. Before February 2022, only isolated cases of such vessels appearing had been recorded. From the outbreak of the war through January 2, 2026, a total of 212 such warships were identified.