British Bases in Cyprus Face Uncertain Future After Drone Strike

Cyprus's foreign minister, Constantinos Kombos, has expressed concerns about the future of the UK's military bases on the island in the wake of a drone strike on RAF Akrotiri. The attack, which was suspected to have been launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon, caused minimal damage and did not result in casualties. However, the incident has sparked a diplomatic fallout, with the Cypriot high commissioner to the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, stating that the country was 'disappointed' by Britain's failure to warn people on the island of the impending strike.

The Cypriot president, Nikos Christodoulides, has openly criticised the failure to stop the drone attack. His spokesperson said that 'all necessary steps will be taken to communicate our dissatisfaction, both with the way this message was communicated and the fact that yesterday there was no timely warning to citizens of Cyprus living near the Akrotiri bases.'

Kombos stated that there needed to be a 'conversation' about the future of the UK's two bases in Cyprus. 'Right now we have the British bases on the island. There are questions. There are issues. There are concerns,' he said. 'Our displeasure was shared leading up to the incident and immediately afterwards. We are now focusing on the current situation and how we can manage the situation.'

The British government has stated that it is committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said that 'the UK is fully committed to the security of Cyprus and British military personnel based there. We will always act in the interest of the UK and our allies.'

In response to the drone attacks, the British warship HMS Dragon, which has air defence capabilities, will sail to Cyprus next week.