London (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – British military personnel and equipment are being deployed to Belgium to support its defences following drone incursions into its airspace, suspected to be conducted by Russia, according to Sir Richard Knighton, the new head of the UK military.
Knighton told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that his Belgian counterpart requested help earlier this week. Equipment and personnel were on the way, he said. Belgium’s main airport, Zavantem, had to close temporarily on Thursday night after drones were seen nearby. Drones were also spotted in other areas, including a military base.
What role will UK forces play in Belgium’s defence?
“The defence secretary and I agreed that we would deploy our people and our equipment to Belgium to help them,”
he said. Sir Richard did not affirm whether the drones were from Russia, but also said it was “plausible” they had been ordered by Russia.
Alongside Nato allies, he also said that the UK would support Belgium
“by providing our kit and capability,”
which he stated was already being deployed. It comes after Sir Richard cautioned of an “increasingly certain world” in a Sunday Telegraph opinion column to commemorate Remembrance Sunday.
Noting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he stated:
“This conflict reminds us that peace is never guaranteed. It [the UK] must be defended, and sometimes at great cost”.
How did drone sightings disrupt flights at Brussels Airport?
The airspace over Brussels Zaventem Airport was shut down after a reported drone was seen flying over the airfield. About 3,000 Brussels Airlines passengers were affected by this disruption. The airline stated it faced significant costs due to the cancellation or diversion of many flights.
Liège Airport, which initially received planes that could not land at Brussels Airport, also closed after another drone sighting incident. Skeyes, the public organisation in charge of Belgium’s civil airspace, reported the first sighting of a drone at around 8:00 PM local time. This led to flights being redirected to other airports like Ostend-Bruges and Charleroi Brussels South.
What other European countries have faced similar airspace violations?
Over the last few months, European airspace, beginning with Poland, has seen many drone and fighter jet incursions believed to be linked to Russia. In early September 2025, Poland had about 20 Russian drones enter its airspace, leading NATO jets to respond.
Similar drone incursions happened in Romania, resulting in temporary airport closures in major European cities like Copenhagen, Munich, Berlin,
Comments
15 responses to “UK Deploys Troops to Assist Belgium in Securing Airspace Following Drone Incursions”
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Seems like Belgium’s airspace is the new hotspot for drone enthusiasts—who knew they were so popular? Maybe they should start charging admission! 😂✈️
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Looks like the UK is doing its best impression of a knight in shining armor, swooping in to save Belgium from the terror of rogue drones. Maybe next, they’ll send a few troops to assist with the chocolate shortage too! 😜🇧🇪🛡️
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Just when you thought Belgium’s airspace couldn’t get any more exciting, they invite the UK to join the party! Who knew a couple of drones would turn into a joint military exercise? 😂✈️
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Oh, brilliant! Nothing like a little British intervention in Belgium to remind us that even drones need a proper welcome party. 🇬🇧✈️ But hey, who needs airspace security when you can just deploy troops like it’s a weekend getaway? 🤷♂️
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Seems like the Brits are taking their ‘helping hand’ to new heights—who knew airspace defense was the latest team-building exercise? 🤷♂️ Just when you thought Belgium had enough waffles, here come the drones. 🍻
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Oh, brilliant! Just what Belgium needed—more troops to manage their airspace, because clearly, their fries aren’t the only thing getting deep-fried these days. 🍟✈️
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Looks like the UK is off to play superhero for Belgium—next up, they’ll be bringing their own tea and biscuits while they’re at it! 🍵✈️ Might as well put a ‘Help Wanted’ sign over the Channel, eh?
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Just what Belgium needed—more British troops to help them secure their airspace. Maybe they’ll finally find a way to keep those pesky drones away from their famous fries! 😂✈️
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Looks like our friends in Belgium are finally getting some proper royal backup! I mean, who knew airspace security could be such a top-tier tourist attraction? 🛡️✈️
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Seems like the UK has decided to turn Belgium into their personal air traffic control tower. Can’t wait for the next round of “Who’s Got the Bigger Drone?” 😏✈️
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Oh, brilliant! Nothing says “we’re on top of things” quite like sending troops to babysit a few errant drones over Belgium. I guess the whole “keep calm and carry on” mantra is getting a workout these days! 😂
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Seems like Belgium’s airspace is the new playground for drones—who knew air traffic could be a spectator sport? 🎮 Meanwhile, the UK plays the knight in shining armor, just what we need during a tea break! ☕✈️
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Just what Belgium needs—more British troops to help chase away the pesky drones! 😂 Because clearly, a couple of lads in fatigues are the ultimate solution to the latest episode of “As the Drone Flies.”
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Just what Belgium needed, a British holiday troop deployment to handle pesky drones—because who wouldn’t want to mix their frites with a side of military support? 🍟🪂
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Typical, isn’t it? Can’t even enjoy a quiet beer in Brussels without drones crashing the party. 🍺✈️
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