Cyprus raises doubts over future of UK bases after drone strike

Cyprus’s foreign minister said there are “questions” about the future of the UK’s military bases on the island after a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri last Sunday. The attack, suspected to have been launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon, caused minimal damage and did not result in casualties.

Further drones were intercepted and the Ministry of Defence temporarily moved families from the base. The incident has prompted a diplomatic row. The Cypriot high commissioner to the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, said the country was “disappointed” by Britain’s failure to warn people on the island of the impending strike.

President Nikos Christodoulides openly criticised the failure to stop the drone attack; his spokesperson said “all necessary steps will be taken to communicate our dissatisfaction” and noted there was “no timely warning to citizens of Cyprus living near the Akrotiri bases.” Foreign minister Constantinos Kombos said there must now be a “conversation” about the future of the UK’s two bases in Cyprus.

Cyprus, Akrotiri

cyprus, uk bases, raf akrotiri, drone strike, hezbollah, lebanon, defence ministry, nikos christodoulides, kyriacos kouros, constantinos kombos