Margarita Robles reaffirmed that Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish territory at the annual military videoconference on 11 October, one day before Spain’s National Day. Addressing deployed troops, she placed the two cities within a broader account of Spain’s defence commitments overseas.
For the first time, the Comandancia General de Ceuta joined the event by direct connection. Press Digital reported that the Defence minister thanked deployed personnel and described the two cities as unequivocally Spanish.
The political statement came alongside an operational update. The Mando Operativo de Ceuta reported surveillance and deterrence activity in the city, intended to ease concern among the local population. Robles praised the unit and defended it against criticism she attributed to a lack of understanding.
On 7 October 2026, the Spanish frigates Navarra and Cristóbal Colón joined NATO’s standing maritime group SNMG-2, continuing patrols across the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Cádiz, with activity extending into the eastern Atlantic, El Confidencial Digital reported.
The meeting placed Ceuta and Melilla within a wider account of Spain’s overseas military role. Robles highlighted Spanish forces involved in European and African security operations. The emphasis came as Spain prepared for King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to visit both cities, amid debate over their place in the security architecture of the European Union and NATO.
More than 3,000 service members are expected to remain deployed across four continents in 2026. Spain is participating in 17 missions and continues to command EUNAVFOR Atalanta and NMI in Iraq. Spanish personnel also serve in the Baltic countries. Others are deployed in Ukraine, Romania, Lebanon, Somalia and Iraq.
Independent media reported those figures. The coverage did not cite a separate Defence Ministry release with a full breakdown of all 17 missions.
The missions operate under several international frameworks. Under a United Nations mandate, Spanish forces lead the eastern sector of the operation in Lebanon. They also contribute to the United Nations mission in Colombia. Within NATO, Spain is due to lead the FLF-Eslovaquia battlegroup in 2026 under the Alliance’s new force model.
On 24 September 2026, the EU Political and Security Committee decided that command of EUNAVFOR Atalanta would pass to Portuguese Commodore José João Rodrigues Pedre from 10 October. The decision repealed the previous appointment and clarified the operation’s current command structure.
Spain also contributes to NATO’s permanent naval forces SNMG and SNMCMG. Its deployments include air surveillance in Eap-Rumania. Air defence support comes through BAP in the Baltic countries, with A/T-Turquía also among the deployments. The Defence Ministry has also cited Spanish participation in every European Union military mission in Africa mentioned in its material, including deployments in the Central African Republic, Somalia and Senegal.
Operation Atalanta combats piracy in the Indian Ocean with personnel and equipment from the Armada and the Ejército del Aire y del Espacio. It is directed from the ES-OHQ at Base Naval de Rota. The latest EU command decision coincides with a change in senior multinational leadership; it does not establish a permanent Spanish command.
Robles said Spain cannot remain indifferent to security in Ukraine or on the southern flank. She described deployed personnel as representatives of Spain and the European Union and called the country a reliable NATO ally.
In October, King Felipe VI said an attack or threat against one EU member affects the Union as a whole. He referred to Spanish deployments in Latvia and Slovakia, as well as Romania, alongside contributions to NATO air defence and the northern flank.
Press Digital reported that the videoconference had been moved from 12 October to 11 October so the minister could speak with the troops in a calmer setting.
The videoconference reaffirmed the political importance of Ceuta and Melilla. No specific new threat or operational change in either city was reported. The coverage also did not cite a separate official Defence Ministry release containing the full videoconference transcript or detailed figures for each of the 17 missions.
