UK military to help protect Belgium after drone incursions

Britain is giving military assistance to Belgium following a string of suspected Russian drone incursions into its airspace, according to the new Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Richard Knighton.

He told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that his Belgian counterpart had requested assistance earlier this week and that support and staff were 'on the way'.

After drones were spotted nearby, Belgium's main airport, Zaventem, was forced to close briefly on Thursday night. Drones had also been seen in other locations, including a military base. Sir Richard said that it was not known if the incursions were by Russia, but it was 'plausible' they had been ordered by Moscow.

'Our confidence is in our alliances and our collective determination to defend, deter, and shield our critical infrastructure and airspace as hybrid threats rise,' Defence Secretary John Healey said in a tweet. He told Belgium that the UK would help 'by providing our kit and capabilities', alongside other NATO allies.

After Brussels' request, the German defence ministry announced on Friday that it would also assist Belgium with anti-drone measures. The disruption affected nearly 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers, and the carrier said it incurred 'significant fees' from cancelling or diverting hundreds of flights.

Boris Pistorius, the German defence minister, and the Belgian security services have reported that they suspect Russia, but Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has stated that 'no supporting facts exist'.

'Drones flying over our military bases were seen as our issue at first,' Francken said earlier this week. 'Now it has become a significant threat to civilian infrastructure in several European countries.'

'The Most Significant Threat'

More broadly, Sir Richard said that Russia was 'the most significant threat to Europe right now'.

'The unlawful invasion of Ukraine has exposed the barbaric and nefarious essence of Russia's war effort,' he told the programme. 'We [The United Kingdom] must improve ourselves.' He added that sabotage and killings had been carried out by Russia on UK territory as part of so-called hybrid wars.

The Shadow Defence Secretary welcomed the move, saying that there was 'a heightened threat environment' and that a key element of deterring threats was 'working with other countries through NATO'.

However, James Cartlidge criticised the government's decision on defence spending, saying that more urgency was required. The government revealed that defence spending would rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP in the upcoming parliament, rising from April 2027, with the aim of reaching 3 per cent.

Sir Richard said the funding was 'more than I've ever known in my career'.

Wider European Context

A number of drone sightings have caused major flight disruptions around Europe in recent months, including in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Despite several government officials' allegations of 'hybrid war' by Russia, the Kremlin has denied any involvement.

According to Pistorius, the new sightings could be related to European Union talks to use frozen Russian funds to help Ukraine in the form of a €140 billion loan.

Although there is no official evidence of Russia's involvement, fears have been fuelled by more recent airspace incursions in Eastern Europe, involving fighter jets and larger attack drones. As part of NATO's initiative to improve the eastern flank's reaction to incursions, the UK has recently sent RAF Typhoon jets to Poland to participate in defence missions.