Drone strike impacts RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus

On the night of March 2, a Shahed-type drone targeted the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. While the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) officially described the damage as minimal and confirmed that no equipment was destroyed, the newspaper The Sun reported a nine-meter hole in a hangar housing U-2 Dragon Lady spy aircraft. The MoD stated that the drone did not originate from Iran and confirmed that investigations are ongoing. In response to the incident, the UK has reinforced its air defense systems across regional bases, including the deployment of additional anti-aircraft missiles. The Royal Navy is also set to deploy Wildcat helicopters equipped with Martlet missiles to Cyprus in the coming days. RAF Typhoon and F-35B aircraft have continued defensive operations in the Middle East. Experts cited in reports suggest the drone may have been launched from Lebanon.