On June 20, 2025, reports emerged that members of the activist group Palestine Action infiltrated the Royal Air Force’s Brize Norton base in the United Kingdom and vandalized two Voyager aerial refueling aircraft. The incident has raised serious concerns about the security of UK airbases and how such an intrusion could occur so easily.
However, the threat posed by this group, which identifies itself as "pro-Palestinian activists," appears to be much broader in scope. New reports suggest that facilities used to train Ukrainian pilots on Western combat aircraft, namely the F-16 and Mirage 2000, may now be in the crosshairs.
Read more: Mirage 2000-5 Fighter Jets for Ukraine from Third Countries: Who Might Supply Them?
Here's the footage from the recent incident at RAF Brize Norton in which two Voyager aircraft were damaged by spray paint and crowbars by Palestine Action members. These aircraft, despite claims made by the group, aren't involved in Israeli operations. pic.twitter.com/7OnnedZBoV
— UK Defence Journal (@UKDefJournal) June 20, 2025
According to the UK Defense Journal, citing other British media sources, members of Palestine Action discussed plans during an online meeting to target RAF Cranwell and RAF Barkston Heath in future raids. These airfields are reportedly used to train Ukrainian Air Force pilots on the aforementioned aircraft types.
British journalists who infiltrated Palestine Action as undercover operatives obtained this intelligence. According to these sources, the threat of sabotage extends to nearly every military airbase in the United Kingdom.
Officials in London have already emphasized that Palestine Action may have crossed the legal threshold for designation as a terrorist organization under the UK's Terrorism Act of 2002.
UK Defence Secretary Luke Pollard described the group’s raid on RAF Brize Norton as "epically foolish" and confirmed that a counterintelligence investigation is underway.
Security has since been tightened across other British military installations to prevent further acts of sabotage.
Defense Express highlights a critical and logical question: if this group claims to act on behalf of pro-Palestinian causes, why are its targets the very facilities reportedly involved in training Ukrainian military pilots? A plausible conclusion is that this could be a hybrid false-flag operation, with indications pointing to possible involvement by russian intelligence services.
Read more: First Images of Mirage 2000-5 Combat Work in Ukraine Appeared
