UK Sends Urgent Support to Belgium Amid Drone Threat

UK Armed Forces Chief Richard Knighton told the BBC that his Belgian counterpart requested assistance, and both personnel and equipment are on the way.

“The Defence Secretary and I agreed late last week to deploy our personnel and equipment to Belgium to provide support,” Knighton said, without specifying the type of equipment or the number of staff being sent.

Who is Behind the UAVs?

Knighton emphasized that the source of the drone sightings remains unclear, though he noted that Russia has incorporated “hybrid warfare” tactics in recent years. Russia has denied any connection to the incidents.

What Happened?

Over the past week, drones have been spotted over airports and military bases in Belgium, including those serving Brussels and Liège. The sightings forced many flights to reroute and led to the cancellation of departures scheduled for Tuesday. Similar disruptions occurred on Thursday in other European countries, including Sweden.

Germany’s Defence Minister suggested on Friday that the recent UAV incidents in Belgium could be linked to debates over Euroclear, a Belgian financial institution, using frozen Russian assets to provide a large loan to Ukraine.