UK military personnel and equipment are being sent to Belgium to help it bolster its defences after drone incursions on its airspace, suspected of being carried out by Russia.
The new head of the UK military, Sir Richard Knighton, told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that his Belgian counterpart asked for assistance earlier this week and that kit and personnel were on the way.
Belgium’s main airport Zavantem was forced to close temporarily on Thursday night after drones were spotted nearby. They were also spotted in other locations, including a military base.
Sir Richard said it was not known if the incursions were by Russia, but added it was “plausible” they had been ordered by Moscow.
In a statement, Defence Secretary John Healey said: “As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace”.
Alongside Nato allies, he added that the UK would help Belgium “by providing our kit and capability” which he said was already being deployed. On Friday the German defence ministry said it would support Belgium with anti-drone measures after a request from Brussels.
About 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers were affected by the disruption, and the carrier said it faced “considerable costs” from cancelling or diverting dozens of flights.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and the Belgian security services have said they suspect Russia, but Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has previously admitted there is no accompanying evidence.
“At first, drones flying over our military bases were seen as our problem,” Francken said earlier this week.
“Now it has become a serious threat affecting civilian infrastructure across multiple European countries.”
Getty ImagesMore broadly, Sir Richard said Russia was “the most pressing threat right now” to Europe.
“The illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown the barbaric nature of Russia’s war efforts,” he told the programme.
He added that sabotage and killings had been carried out by Russia on UK soil, and that so-called hybrid warfare is where “we [The UK] need to strengthen ourselves”.
The shadow defence secretary welcomed the move, saying there was “a heightened threat environment” and a key part of deterring threats was “by acting with other countries through Nato”.
But James Cartlidge criticised the government’s approach to increasing defence spending, saying more urgency was needed.
In spring, the government announced defence spending would rise to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament.
Sir Richard said the funding was “more than I’ve ever known in my career”.
In recent months, a number of drone sightings have caused major flight disruptions across Europe, including in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
Despite some officials blaming “hybrid warfare” by Russia, the Kremlin has denied any involvement.
Pistorious has suggested the latest sightings could be linked to European Union discussions to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine in the form of a €140bn loan.
While there is no public proof of Russia’s involvement, suspicions have been fuelled by more serious airspace incursions by Russia in Eastern Europe over recent months, involving fighter jets and larger attack drones.
The UK has recently sent RAF Typhoon jets to take part in defence missions over Poland as part of Nato’s mission to bolster the eastern flank in response to incursions.
