Drone hits British base in Cyprus, causes limited damage

First attack on British base in Cyprus since 1986; EU backs member states amid rising tensions with Iran

A drone strike hit a British air base in Cyprus overnight, causing limited damage and no casualties, Cypriot and British officials said on Monday, in a marked escalation that risks drawing an EU member state into the conflict surrounding Iran.

The attack targeted the runway at the Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri, the first incident at the facility since a rocket strike by Libyan militants in 1986. The east Mediterranean island, a holiday hotspot and home to thousands of foreign companies, was shaken by the strike.

Britain had moved additional air assets to Akrotiri ahead of possible U.S. action against Iran in preceding weeks, while asserting that British bases would not be used. On Sunday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain had accepted a U.S. request to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iranian missiles stored in depots or launchers. British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper clarified that the U.S. had not requested access to Akrotiri.

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Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said the Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle caused minor damage after crashing into the military facility at 12:03 am.

Police check vehicles on the road leading to RAF Akrotiri, a British sovereign base in Cyprus, which was hit by an unmanned drone overnight, causing limited damage, Cyprus March 2, 2026. REUTERS

It remains unclear where the Iranian-made Shahed was launched from. Two anonymous sources initially told Reuters that a second drone had been intercepted, though one later clarified that only one drone was involved.

“All competent services of the republic are on alert and in full operational readiness,” Christodoulides said.

‘Cyprus was not the target’

Akrotiri, south-west of Limassol, is one of two British bases retained on the island since independence in 1960. Besides military facilities, it houses families of serving personnel. While the bases are British sovereign territory, Cyprus itself is an EU member currently holding the bloc’s rotating presidency. London has no legal obligation to inform Nicosia of military activity, though it is customary to do so.

“I want to be clear: Our country does not participate in any way and does not intend to be part of any military operation,” Christodoulides said.

Cooper added that precautionary measures around the base were in place. “All of the precautionary measures are being taken around the base,” she told Sky News.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc stands by all member states facing any threat. “While the Republic of Cyprus was not the target, let me be clear: we stand collectively, firmly and unequivocally with our Member States in the face of any threat,” she said on X.

British Defence Secretary John Healey said Britain had intercepted two missiles fired towards Cyprus but added he did not believe the island was deliberately targeted. An EU official, speaking anonymously, suggested Iran may be trying to escalate the conflict and draw Europe into it.

Residents take shelter

Residents of nearby Akrotiri village fled overnight, with some seeking refuge at Cypriot army barracks in Limassol, Mayor Pantelis Georgiou told the Cyprus News Agency.

“I was watching TV and heard a big explosion. I called the SBA (bases police) asking what was happening; they said they couldn’t say anything. I took my wife and in-laws to Limassol,” a local, Theodoros, told state broadcaster CyBC. “Someone should have informed us.”

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Base authorities advised residents to shelter in place after a “suspected drone impact” and later announced that non-essential personnel would be relocated, while other British facilities continued normal operations.

Akrotiri, on a square-shaped peninsula at Cyprus’s southern tip, has previously supported operations in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. Britain maintains roughly 7,000 personnel and dependents on Cyprus. The bases cover 99 square miles, just under 3% of the island, and host the Joint Service Signal Unit listening post at Ayios Nicolaos.