The Government is coming under increasing pressure to launch an “immediate investigation” into suspected Russian links to drone sightings over UK air bases.
On Friday, The i Paper revealed that three people with links to Russian military and intelligence sites travelled to stay near top-secret UK air bases where suspicious drones were sighted.
One of the three individuals was just metres from the perimeter of RAF Mildenhall on a day when drones were flown over. At least two people are believed to have worked as seasonal fruit pickers in close proximity to the airbases – visiting fields close to the airbases at night.
The revelation raised serious questions about suspected Russian links to the incidents at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk in November in 2024.
Terry Jermy, the Labour MP for South West Norfolk, where one of the bases is located, said the reports highlighted “the need for furthering ties with our Nato allies,” and demanded “an urgent enquiry” into the “shocking” reports in a letter to the Defence Secretary, John Healey.
He wrote requesting “an urgent enquiry into the reports of Russian involvement in the flying of swarms of drones over Royal Air Force and military airbases of RAF Mildenhall, Lakenheath and Feltwell with agents suspected of posing as fruit pickers to plan the operation.
“The Kremlin being able to recruit agents living in the UK is shocking as well as deeply disappointing to my constituents and highlights the real threat of Russia’s threat to destabilising our security and way of life.
“Russia seems to see foreign policy as a zero-sum game: any actions it can take which damage the West are fundamentally good for Russia. It has now been three years since Russia’s full-scale illegal invasion of sovereign Ukraine.”
Mr Jermy has become the third MP to write to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) requesting an investigation into the incidents after after Julian Lewis – the former chair of the Defence Committee – and Nick Timothy, the MP for West Suffolk that’s home to two RAF airbases.
The shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has also urged Parliament’s Security and Intelligence Committee (ISC) to “urgently review” the reports.
“This is extremely alarming,” Philp said. “It appears that Russian agents have been allowed to conduct active reconnaissance near sensitive military bases. This is a complete failure of security, because individuals with links to the Russian security apparatus such as these should not even be allowed into the country.”
He added: “If The i Paper can identify these people, the Government should certainly be able to. This is something that the Intelligence and Security Committee should urgently review.”
The House of Commons Defence Committee has already said it will consider the evidence of suspected Russian links to drone sightings over UK airbases as part of an inquiry into “grey-zone” activity by hostile states. The ISC has been approached for comment.
The evidence of Russian links to the drone sightings is based on a database of open-source location data, provided to this newspaper by a former intelligence official who monitors hostile state cyber threat movements. Although it is not definitive proof of Russian involvement, former intelligence officials said the evidence suggested the work of Russian influence operations.
The database has been made available to UK and US officials investigating Kremlin involvement in the sightings at the airbases where the US Air Force houses state-of-the art aircraft and defence technology.
A senior former British military intelligence official who has reviewed the database seen by this newspaper said it suggested significant Russian “grey-area activity” – a term for espionage operations launched when two countries are neither at peace or direct war.
The response from those in Westminster comes after the Conservative’s shadow Security Minister, Alicia Kearns, said the Russian ambassador to the UK should be summoned into the Foreign Office and asked for an explanation over suspected Russian links to drone sightings over UK air bases.
She said: “Any attempt by Russian intelligence to spy on, or interfere with, UK or allied defence and civil infrastructure must be met with a firm response – the Russian Ambassador should have been summoned. If they haven’t, why not?
“The Government needs to take swift action, launching an investigation, ensuring those individuals responsible are quickly identified and either arrested or declared persona non grata. Allies should have this information shared with them so they can do similarly.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “We will not be offering a running commentary on operational security matters, however the public can rest assured that we take threats seriously and maintain robust measures at defence sites.”
A US Air Forces Europe spokesperson said: “We can confirm that small unmanned aerial systems were spotted in the vicinity of and over RAF Lakenheath, Mildenhall, and Feltwell between November 20 and 22. The number of UASs [unmanned aircraft system] fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration. The UASs were actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents or critical infrastructure.
“To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation. We continue to monitor our airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets.”
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