‘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
