Britain is providing military support to Belgium following a series of incidents in which Russian drones are suspected of invading Belgian airspace, the new Chief of Defense Staff has revealed.
Sir Richard Knighton appeared on the BBC with Laura Kuenssberg and said his Belgian counterpart had requested support earlier this week and that equipment and personnel were on their way.
Belgium’s main airport, Zavantem, was temporarily closed on Thursday night after a drone was spotted nearby. They have also been found in other locations, including military bases.
Sir Richard said it was unclear whether the intrusion was caused by Russia, but added that it was “plausible” that it had been ordered by Moscow.
“As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace,” Defense Secretary John Healey said in a statement.
He added that the UK, along with its NATO allies, would help Belgium “by providing our kit and capabilities” that are already being deployed. On Friday, Germany’s defense ministry said it would support Belgium with anti-drone measures following a request from Brussels.
About 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers were affected by the disruption and the airline said it faced “significant costs” as it canceled or redirected dozens of flights.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and the Belgian Security Service have said they suspect Russia, but Belgian Defense Minister Theo Franken previously admitted there was no evidence attached.
“At first, drones flying over our military bases were seen as our problem,” Franken said earlier this week.
“It has now become a serious threat affecting civil infrastructure in several European countries.”
getty imagesMore broadly, Sir Richard said Russia was “currently the most urgent threat” to Europe.
“The illegal invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the barbaric nature of Russia’s war effort,” he told the program.
He added that Russia had committed sabotage and killings on British soil and that so-called hybrid warfare was “where we (the UK) need to strengthen ourselves”.
The shadow defense secretary welcomed the move, saying “the threat environment is escalating” and “a key part of containing the threat is working together with other countries through NATO.” But Prime Minister James Cartlidge also criticized the government’s approach to increasing defense spending, saying more urgent action was needed.
In the spring, the government announced its ambition to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with the ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament.
Sir Richard said the funds were “more than I have ever known in my career”.
Numerous drone sightings in recent months have led to significant flight disruptions across Europe, including in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
The Kremlin has denied any involvement, despite some officials accusing Russia of “hybrid warfare.”
Pistorious suggested the recent sightings could be linked to discussions in the European Union about using frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine in the form of a €140 billion loan.
There is no public evidence of Russian involvement, but suspicions have been heightened by more serious Russian airspace incursions in Eastern Europe using fighter jets and large attack drones in recent months.
Britain has dispatched RAF Typhoon jets to take part in a defense mission over Poland as part of a NATO mission to strengthen its eastern flank in response to recent incursions.
