Britain to deploy military personnel in Belgium to protect EU nation from 'Russian drone incursions'

Aviation operations were also suspended for multiple hours on Tuesday when drones were detected in the vicinity of Belgium's major airports.

Belgium’s Kleine Brogel air base in the country's northeast, a facility widely understood to house American nuclear armaments, was also targeted.

Additional sightings occurred at a Belgian military installation close to the German border in October, contributing to a broader pattern of aerial intrusions that has affected numerous European nations over recent months.

Boris Pistorius, Germany's defence minister, suggested the incursions were "likely connected with the fight over the use of Russian frozen assets held by Belgium".

British and EU officials have been deliberating on releasing Russian central bank funds, predominantly stored in Belgium, to finance a £120billion loan package for Ukraine.

Other security experts have also pointed to Russia as the source of the incursions, with the Kremlin denying any involvement.

Britain’s military assistance forms part of a coordinated response alongside Germany and France, with members of 2 Force Protection Wing, Royal Air Force, prepared to move to the continent.

Sir Richard Knighton, Britain's newly appointed defence chief, confirmed the deployment after assuming command from Admiral Sir Tony Radakin in September.

"The defence secretary and I agreed that we would deploy our people and our equipment to Belgium to help them," he explained.

Whilst acknowledging he could not be certain about the drones' origins, Sir Richard stated it was “plausible” that Russia was behind the incursions.

He also identified Russia as "the most pressing threat right now", warning Britain must strengthen defences against "hybrid warfare”.

Sir Richard was referring to “below the traditional threshold” means of warfare, including cyber threats, space-based risks, sabotage, and assassination attempts on British territory.

Defence Secretary John Healey concurred, announcing in a statement that: "As hybrid threats grow, our strength lies in our alliances and our collective resolve to defend, deter and protect our critical infrastructure and airspace".

Regardless of the origin of the Belgian drone incursions, the new defence chief said he was "very happy" to support a Nato ally while speaking with the BBC.

It followed the convening of Belgium’s national security council for an emergency session on Thursday to address the escalating situation.

"At first, drones flying over our military bases were seen as our problem," Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said.

"Now it has become a serious threat affecting civilian infrastructure across multiple European countries," he warned.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter