Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides has confirmed that an Iranian drone on Sunday crashed into the British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, marking a tense incident in the region.
No casualties were reported, and the base sustained only “minimal damage,” though the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said family members would be temporarily relocated as a precaution.
The crash occurred around midnight local time (22:00 GMT), with the MoD emphasizing that “our force protection in the region is at the highest level and the base has responded to defend our people.”
The incident comes shortly after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had agreed to a U.S. request to use British military bases for “defensive” strikes.
An MoD spokesperson reassured that “our base and personnel continue to operate as normal protecting the safety of Britain and our interests.”
In a recorded message, Christodoulides specified that a Shahed unmanned aerial vehicle had crashed inside the British Sovereign Base Area.
The Sovereign Base Areas Administration confirmed plans for the “temporary dispersal of non-essential personnel” from RAF Akrotiri Station, clarifying that residents of the nearby Akrotiri village need not evacuate.
“All other locations, workplaces, businesses and facilities will remain open as normal and there are no restrictions in place,” the statement said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, briefed on the situation by the Cypriot president, expressed solidarity with EU member states: “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 said on social media.
