Pro-Palestinian protesters claim to have attacked British military aircraft at a Royal Air Force base, in what appears to be a major security breach.
Video posted on X by the Palestine Action network appears to show activists on electric scooters racing across the tarmac towards cargo planes at RAF Brize Norton, in Oxfordshire, southern England.
They can then be seen attacking the engine of a Voyager aircraft with repurposed fire extinguishers that sprayed red paint. They said they caused further damage with crowbars. Paint was also sprayed on the runway. The activists claim to have escaped without detection.
The group says that it has damaged two aircraft and referenced flights that depart daily from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
“From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza,” said Palestinian Action in its post.
“Not only did actionists manage to break into Britain's largest air force base, they also escaped undetected. Ordinary people can take direct action to intervene in the genocide.”
They said putting the planes out of service had interrupted Britain's direct participation in “genocide and war crimes across the Middle East”.
RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri.
Culture Minister Lisa Nandy described the incident as “deeply, deeply concerning”.
During the morning media round, she said it appeared to be a “very bad choice of behaviour” that would probably result in very tough action being taken and “frankly, cracking down on people who think they can treat national security with that level of disregard.”
Mark Francois, the opposition Conservative Party shadow armed forces minister, said there are “serious questions” for the Ministry of Defence to answer about how “protesters, who might even have turned out to be armed terrorists, were able to gain access to what is supposed to be a secure RAF airbase”.
The Ministry of Defence said: “We strongly condemn this vandalism of Royal Air Force assets. We are working closely with the police who are investigating.
“Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all. It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.”
The statement came as British Foreign Secretary David Lammy arrived in Geneva for talks with the Iranian foreign minister and European allies as the UK presses for a diplomatic solution to the Israel-Iran conflict.
Mr Lammy will meet Abbas Araghchi on Friday alongside his counterparts from France, Germany and the EU as he seeks to negotiate a settlement before US President Donald Trump decides whether to take military action against Tehran.
A group of 96 UK parliamentarians are demanding stronger economic action against Israel, following Britain's recent moves to impose sanctions on individual Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and suspend new trade talks.
In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, the parliamentarians, including 72 MPs, expressed “grave concern” over the “relentless violence against Palestinians” across Gaza, occupied East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.
Mr Starmer recently changed his tone on Gaza, describing the humanitarian crisis as “intolerable” and “appalling”.
