‘We never imagined this’: the Cypriot village on edge after RAF Akrotiri drone strike Evacuations near the RAF base have reignited debates among Cypriots about the risks of hosting Western military installations. For decades, residents of the village near RAF Akrotiri have lived with the constant presence of military activity, from aircraft noise to war exercises. But the recent drone strike has forced them to confront a new reality. Giorgos Konstantinos, the village’s vice-mayor, described the event as something no one could have anticipated. “We’ve grown used to the planes and the exercises, but this was different,” he said, standing at the main gate of the base. “A drone flying through our skies, exploding on the other side of the fence—forcing us to leave. It’s terrifying.” The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, triggered sirens as the drone crashed into the base’s runway. By Tuesday, the village was nearly empty, with police cars parked outside the church and the school locked down. Konstantinos estimated that fewer than 30 residents remained in the village, most having fled to hotels, a nearby monastery, or relatives in Limassol. “People don’t feel safe when there’s so much uncertainty,” he said. “Even the British can’t explain why the drone wasn’t detected earlier, despite the air defense systems on the base.” The strike has sparked widespread questions among Cypriots. The EU’s easternmost member state is just a 20-minute flight from Lebanon, where Hezbollah, a Shia militia group, is believed to have launched the Shahed-type drone and two others intercepted on Monday. Michalis Georgiou, a local resident working at the base, described the attack as “terrifying.” He recounted how he and his family fled after hearing sirens, unsure if they would return.#giorgos_konstantinos #raf_akrotiri #michalis_georgiou #tasos_kosteas #nicos_christodoulides
Cyprus Evacuates Residents Amid Drone Attacks on RAF Base Residents of Cyprus have been evacuated from the village of Akrotiri following a drone attack on a British RAF facility. Local officials confirmed that nearly all villagers have left the area, with only about 20 people remaining due to refusal to depart. Deputy mayor Giorgos Konstantinos described the evacuation as a "mass exodus" driven by fear and the threat posed by the attack. Police forces have been deployed around the RAF base, and non-essential personnel have been relocated to safer areas within the sovereign base areas, a remnant of colonial rule. The drone strike, which occurred on Sunday, has raised questions about its origin. While it is unclear whether the unmanned vehicles were launched from Iran or operated by Iranian proxy forces in Lebanon, two additional drones were intercepted earlier on Monday. The attack has intensified tensions in the region, with further strikes and evacuations reported. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims on his Truth Social platform, asserting that Iran would have possessed a nuclear bomb by 2022 if the Iran nuclear deal had not been terminated. He accused former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden of enabling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had previously confirmed Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA, which restricted uranium enrichment, until the U.S. withdrew from the agreement in 2018. The U.S. State Department has issued an urgent warning for American citizens to leave over a dozen Middle Eastern countries amid escalating conflict.#iran #cyprus #akrotiri #raf_base #giorgos_konstantinos
