A US Air Force spokesperson said American pilots at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom responded Friday evening to “unauthorized activity suspected to be associated with unmanned aerial systems.”
The spokesperson confirmed that no personnel were injured and no damage was reported to aircraft or infrastructure at the base.
“We continue to work closely with our host nation counterparts to ensure the safety and security of US service members, US civilians, host nation civilians, contractors and all of our families,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a British member of Parliament representing the Lakenheath area announced that the incident had ended, stressing that there was no threat to local residents.
US Army Officer Accused of Spying for Russia in Britain
In a separate development, a US official said Thursday that an American Army officer arrested in the United Kingdom on suspicion of spying for Russia is expected to face formal charges there in the coming days. The official stressed that the officer had not passed any information to Moscow.
The official said Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Tiner is expected to face proceedings before a US military court after British authorities formally charge him, a step that had been anticipated on Sunday or Monday. The official reiterated that no information had been leaked to the Russian side.
A second US official confirmed Tiner’s identity, noting that he had previously served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the military matters involved.
Tiner, a senior officer in the Army’s human resources division, had been assigned to a unit affiliated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at a military base near the English city of Gloucester.
He was arrested last Tuesday on suspicion of cooperating with a foreign intelligence service and obtaining or disclosing protected information.
London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed the officer’s arrest, saying its counterterrorism units had worked in coordination with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Army in handling the case.
In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia had any connection to the American officer.
