UK military to help Belgium after drone sightings near airports

The subject has not gone into details astir the benignant of instrumentality oregon fig of unit that volition beryllium sent.

The United Kingdom is sending subject instrumentality and unit to Belgium aft a spate of disruptive drone sightings forced the impermanent closures of 2 large airports.

Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton told the BBC web connected Sunday that the subject had agreed to “deploy our people, our instrumentality to Belgium to assistance them” aft a petition from Belgian authorities.

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“We don’t cognize – and the Belgians don’t yet cognize – the root of those drones, but we volition assistance them by providing our kit and capability, which has already started to deploy to assistance Belgium,” said Knighton, who did not springiness details astir what benignant of instrumentality would beryllium sent oregon however galore personnel.

In the past week, some Belgium’s main planetary airdrome astatine Brussels and 1 of Europe’s biggest cargo airports astatine Liege were forced to close temporarily due to the fact that of drone incursions. That came aft a bid of unidentified drone flights adjacent a United States subject basal successful Belgium wherever atomic weapons are stored.

Drone sightings besides forced the impermanent closures of airports successful different countries, including Sweden, connected Thursday. The Belgian authorities held an exigency meeting to code the drone sightings.

Knighton said it was not known yet who was down the drone sightings but noted Russia has been progressive successful a signifier of “hybrid warfare” successful caller years.

Russia has been blamed successful immoderate cases, but Belgium has not said who has been operating the drones. Russia has denied immoderate transportation with the incidents, and determination has been nary grounds to straight nexus the drones to Russia.

Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said helium believed immoderate incidents were portion of “a spying operation” that could not person been done by amateurs.

Drone incidents person besides caused large disruptions crossed Europe successful caller months amid deepening concerns that Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine mightiness spill crossed Europe’s borders. Since September, drones person been spotted adjacent civilian airports and subject facilities successful countries including Denmark, Germany and Norway.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the incursions “hybrid warfare”. While she did not clasp Russia liable for the incidents, she said it was wide Russia’s purpose was to “sow division” successful Europe.

In September, Polish and NATO forces changeable down drones violating the country’s airspace during a Russian aerial onslaught connected neighbouring Ukraine.

Belgium is location to the office of NATO and the European Union arsenic good arsenic Europe’s biggest fiscal clearinghouse, holding tens of billions of euros successful frozen Russian assets. Many EU countries privation to usage those assets arsenic collateral to supply loans to Ukraine, but Belgium has truthful acold resisted.