A group of unidentified drones was spotted and targeted above Île Long, a key base for France's nuclear missile submarines located in Brittany. This incident, which occurred on Thursday evening at 7:30 PM local time, has raised serious security concerns. The base houses France's entire naval nuclear deterrent fleet, including Triomphant-class submarines.

French military forces activated anti-drone operations in response to the drones flying over the critical military facility. Initial reports indicated that military personnel fired several "shots" at the drones; however, Frédéric Thiit, the public prosecutor in Rennes, clarified that the French forces used a jammer rather than live ammunition, meaning no drones were shot down.

This confusion may stem from the sound made by some anti-drone jammers, which can resemble gunfire. French officials confirmed that the critical infrastructure of the base remained secure, with formal investigations set to begin in the coming days. The identity and motives of the intruders are still unknown.

Potential reasons for the incursion could include operations like radar cover mapping, testing electronic countermeasures, or assessing France's response times by a foreign nation. Although there is no concrete evidence, Russia is often the primary suspect in such operations in Europe, especially following similar incidents in Estonia and Poland.

This incident is part of a broader trend of mysterious drone flights over European airspace in recent months, many of which have resulted in airport closures and disruptions to commercial flights, targeting key military installations, such as those in Belgium. In response to this threat, European leaders have called for a joint effort to establish what they refer to as a "drone wall" along their borders. NATO has also recently deployed a new anti-drone system on its eastern flank.