Drone incidents near UK military sites rise sharply

The British defence ministry reported a sharp rise in drone incidents near military sites in the UK, with 340 security incidents involving drones recorded over or near defence facilities in the 12 months to August 2026. This marks a significant increase from 250 incidents in 2025 and 126 incidents the previous year. The Independent newspaper published the figures, which were not disclosed by the defence ministry, stating that the government was taking the threat posed by hostile drones to defence sites extremely seriously.

Armed forces minister Louise Sandher-Jones emphasized the government's resolve to stand against aggression towards the UK and its allies, warning that any breaches of sovereignty would be met with a strong response. The rise in drone activity is attributed in part to improved monitoring and reporting following the establishment of restricted airspace zones over 44 strategic military sites in February.

European countries have also expressed concerns over suspected Russian hybrid operations on their territory, with Russia recently summoning the UK's charge d'affaires over what Moscow described as an escalation in arms supplies to Ukraine.