Iranian-made drone hits British air base in Cyprus causing limited damage
The Cyprus president says a Shahed-type UAV struck RAF Akrotiri; no casualties reported
An Iranian-made drone hit Britain’s RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus overnight, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot authorities and the UK Ministry of Defence said on Monday. Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into military facilities at 12:03 AM local time.
Christodoulides said that “information received through various channels indicates that it involved an unmanned drone, which caused limited damage.” He added that “all the competent services of the republic are on alert and in full operational readiness” and stressed that “our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation.”
It was not immediately clear from where the drone was launched. Two sources told Reuters the British bases had intercepted a second drone, although one of the sources later said there was only “one drone.” British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper said the United States had not requested access to Akrotiri and told Sky News that “all the precautionary measures are being taken around the base.”
The incident comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain had accepted a US request to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles, following earlier comments that British facilities would not be used. On Sunday, Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain had intercepted two missiles fired in the direction of Cyprus but said he did not believe the island was deliberately targeted.
Residents of the nearby civilian village of Akrotiri reported fleeing overnight and seeking shelter in Limassol. One local told Cypriot state TV, “I was watching TV, and I heard a big explosion… I took my wife and my in-laws to Limassol. Someone should have informed us.” Base authorities ordered residents near Akrotiri to shelter in place after a “suspected drone impact” and later said nonessential personnel would be relocated, while other British facilities would operate normally.
https://x.com/i/web/status/2028357886355570992
This post can't be displayed because social networks cookies have been deactivated. You can activate them by clicking .
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union backed Cyprus, an EU member currently holding the bloc’s rotating presidency. “While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly, and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat,” she wrote on X. An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they believed Iran was trying to expand the conflict and draw Europeans in.