The UK is sending military support, including RAF specialists, to Belgium after suspected Russian drone incursions on its airspace, the new chief of Britain’s armed forces has announced.
In a decision made alongside defence secretary John Healey, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of defence staff, said the personnel and equipment are now on the way after his Belgian counterpart asked for help earlier this week.
Belgium’s main airport at Zaventem closed temporarily on Thursday night after drones were spotted nearby and also at military bases, with around 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers affected as dozens of flights were cancelled or diverted.
Sir Richard said it was “plausible” that the incursions were by Russia, after both the Belgian security services and German defence minister Boris Pistorius said they suspected the same, although it remains unknown who ordered them.
Sir Richard told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I spoke to my Belgian opposite number in the week and he asked if we would be prepared to support them, and the defence secretary and I agreed at the end of last week that we would deploy our people, our equipment to Belgium to help them.
“It is important to be clear, though, that we don’t know – and the Belgians don’t yet know – the source of those drones, but we will help them by providing our kit and capability, which has already started to deploy to help Belgium.”
Other Nato allies are also supporting Belgium, with the German defence ministry announcing on Friday that it will provide anti-drone measures following the country’s request for help.
Put to him that the British military is now helping a European country defend itself from suspected Russian attacks, Sir Richard said: “We don’t know whether they’re Russian attacks, but they have had these drones which are providing disruption to their airfields and have been sighted over their military bases.
“And the UK, alongside our other 31 allies in Nato, will work to support each other, and that’s why the defence secretary and I are very happy to see UK military personnel deployed to support Belgium.”
However, the armed forces chief did go on to describe Russia as “the most pressing threat right now” to Europe, saying: “The illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown the barbaric nature of Russia's war efforts.”
He warned that “we [the UK] need to strengthen ourselves” against so-called hybrid warfare amid sabotage and killings carried out by Moscow in Britain.
A number of drone sightings have caused major travel disruption across Europe in recent months, with some officials accusing Russia of “hybrid warfare”, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Suspicions have been driven by Moscow’s more serious airspace incursions in Eastern Europe, also over recent months.
Responding to incursions, the UK recently sent RAF Typhoon jets to take part in Nato’s air defence missions over Poland as part of efforts to bolster European security.
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