A former security minister has called for an “urgent investigation” into reports of Russian links to drone activity over US air bases in England.
A number of unidentified drones were spotted on multiple occasions over three airbases – RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell, in Norfolk – last November, the United States Air Force (USAF) said.
Around 60 British troops were deployed to help the USAF in its investigation of the incident.
Labour frontbencher Vernon Coaker warned at the time that those responsible for the spate of recent illegal airborne incursions faced up to 14 years in jail under national security laws.
And now new evidence of the movements of three individuals with alleged links to the Kremlin at the time of the sightings suggests a Russian state link to the drone activity, according to an investigation by The i Paper.
Two of the individuals were believed to have worked as seasonal fruit pickers, the newspaper reported.
Tom Tugendhat, who was security minister under Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, said the findings “demand urgent investigation” by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and UK intelligence services.
He told the paper: “Russian intelligence are trying to recruit criminals to carry out sabotage attacks across Europe. This strongly suggests emboldened Kremlin activity here in our country.”
And Julian Lewis, the former Tory chair of parliament’s defence committee, said: “When the US and British authorities detected the drone intrusions at both airbases last November, they stated that investigations were underway.
“Meanwhile, there is credible evidence here of the possible presence of GRU-linked operatives near Lakenheath and Mildenhall.
“I shall be asking ministers to consolidate the findings of all these investigations and to make a statement in the Commons as soon as possible.”
The individuals’ roles as seasonal fruit pickers granted them close proximity to the airbases, with them visiting nearby fields at night.
In one case, an individual who has regularly appeared in the Russian embassy in Germany flew into Britain and was just meters from the perimeter of RAF Mildenhall during the drone incursions in November, The i Paper reported.
In another, an individual who had been to Russia’s biggest military facility in Tajikistan arrived in the UK and visited remote areas around RAF Mildenhall several times, returning to the Russian base within two months of the drone activity. A former intelligence officer told the paper that fruit picking would be the “perfect cover” for Russian intelligence agents.
An MoD 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.”
