The United Kingdom has sent troops and military equipment to Belgium following a request for assistance from Brussels, amid a series of drone incursions that temporarily closed airspace, including Zaventem Airport, the country’s main airport.
The incident affected about 3,000 passengers and forced Brussels Airlines to cancel or reroute flights, causing significant losses.
According to the BBC, the UK Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, confirmed that the deployment was a direct response to the Belgian Armed Forces’ request. He stated that the teams and equipment were already being deployed, though he avoided confirming that Russia was behind the actions, describing it only as “plausible.”
Belgian authorities and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius have pointed to suspected Russian involvement in the incursions. However, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said there is still no concrete evidence. Francken also warned that increased drone activity over military facilities represents a growing threat to civilian infrastructure in several European countries.
Source: UK Defence Journal | Photo: X @BritishArmy | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
“The UK, alongside our 31 allies in NATO, will work to support [Belgium]”
The Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton says UK military support is being sent to Belgium after drone incursions on its airspace #BBCLauraK https://t.co/CkTHGctZ4k pic.twitter.com/0cnzDROuF1
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 9, 2025
