John Healey, the UK defence secretary, has flown to Cyprus to address diplomatic tensions following a drone attack on RAF Akrotiri. The Shahed-type drone, believed to have been launched by pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon or western Iraq, evaded detection by flying low and slow. The attack occurred during Iran's retaliatory bombardment after US and Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader.
The drone strike on Sunday, the first against a British military installation on the island in 40 years, prompted the evacuation of families from the base and a bolstering of defences. Two further drones were intercepted on Monday morning. No injuries were reported, and damage was limited.
Cypriot officials have expressed anger over the incident. President Nikos Christodoulides criticised the failure to stop the drone, and his spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said there was dissatisfaction with the lack of timely warning to citizens near Akrotiri. The Cypriot high commissioner in the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, said the country was 'disappointed' with British failures to warn the island.
Healey met his Cypriot counterpart in Nicosia on Thursday morning. The UK has deployed the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters with counter-drone capabilities to Cyprus. France and Greece have also sent military support, including F-16 fighter jets and anti-drone systems.
