British fighter jets were scrambled over fears of a suspected Russian long-range bomber nearing UK airspace, according to multiple reports. Two Typhoon fighter jets were flown from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, along with a Voyager refueling jet from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. The planes flew towards Shetland, off Scotland's north-east coast, and were tracked circling nearby. An unidentified Russian warplane sat outside British airspace, but it did not need to be intercepted or escorted by the British jets, which later returned to base.
This incident occurred as Prime Minister Keir Starmer told British military chiefs to find £3.5 billion in budget cuts despite the crisis in Iran and the looming threat the Kremlin poses to the West. The heads of the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force, along with other top brass, are meeting this week to discuss funding pressures. Ministry of Defence officials have asked military chiefs to find £3.5 billion of 'efficiencies' and other savings this year. The in-year budget squeeze is because the current defence budget is insufficient to deliver existing plans.
British bases in Cyprus are not being used by US bombers and the use is limited to agreed defensive purposes.
The Ministry of Defence is facing a £28 billion shortfall between now and 2030, with the Prime Minister said to have been given the dire financial assessment before Christmas. Sir Keir faced charges of leaving Britain 'unsafe' with a former NATO chief and Labour minister condemning the PM's 'corrosive complacency'. Lord Robertson will use a speech later to accuse Sir Keir of failing to act with the country 'under attack', insisting the Iran war should be a 'rude wake-up call'. In a devastating assessment, Lord Robertson will warn the Government is prioritizing 'the ever-expanding welfare budget' over essential security.
Lord Robertson, who helped write Labour's Strategic Defence Review last year, has been backed by military chiefs who said the UK could no longer rely on the 'US cavalry coming to bail us out'. The Ministry of Defence has previously announced a Defence Reform and Efficiency Plan to deliver £6 billion of savings over five years.
The UK is not joining the US and Israeli offensive strikes but will continue defensive actions in the region.
Meanwhile, two drones heading for RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus were intercepted on Monday. A drone hit the British base at RAF Akrotiri overnight on Sunday with no casualties and 'minimal damage'. The attack on Sunday involved an Iranian drone, according to Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. Employees at RAF Akrotiri received a message warning them of an 'ongoing security threat' on Monday.
The UK's Ministry of Defence said family members would be moved to alternative accommodation as a precautionary measure following Sunday's attack. Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed there were no casualties and minimal damage at RAF Akrotiri. Healey said families at RAF Akrotiri are being moved to alternative temporary accommodation in Cyprus as a precautionary measure. Employees at the base received a message on Monday telling them to stay away from windows and take shelter behind furniture.
The strike on RAF Akrotiri was not in response to any decision by the UK government, with the assessment that the drone was launched before the UK announced allowing US use of UK bases for defensive actions.
An alarm was raised at Paphos Airport after a suspected drone was spotted in the airspace, with evacuation instructions given. The Sovereign Base Areas Administration is working with the Republic of Cyprus and local authorities to support any Akrotiri residents looking to temporarily leave the village. The Ministry of Defence provided an update on UK operations in the Middle East, with multiple reports indicating RAF Typhoon jets were deployed overnight to defend two Middle Eastern nations.
RAF Typhoon jets destroyed an uncrewed aerial system targeting Jordan and intercepted a drone bound for Bahrain. The UK has begun conducting defensive air sorties in support of the United Arab Emirates. The UK has deployed additional air operations experts to the Gulf to ensure an accurate air picture across the region and assist partners with airspace management. Wildcat and Merlin helicopters have been dispatched to Britain's Cyprus bases to bolster defensive operations and identify aerial threats.
France and Germany are also prepared to enable US action to destroy Iran's capability to fire missiles and drones from source.
The UK has temporarily removed the dependents of embassy personnel in the UAE as a precautionary measure due to the ongoing security situation. The specific identity and purpose of the Russian warplane reported near UK airspace remain unknown, as do which two Middle Eastern nations the RAF Typhoon jets were deployed to defend. The exact details and findings of the ongoing investigation into the drone attack on RAF Akrotiri have not been disclosed, and the full extent of damage caused by the drone attack on RAF Akrotiri, beyond 'minimal damage', is unclear. The timeline and specific measures for moving military families and embassy dependents as precautionary steps are still being finalized. These developments occur against a backdrop of heightened tensions with Russia and Iran, compounded by significant UK defense budget constraints that have sparked political and military concerns about the country's security posture.