Pro-Palestinian activists claimed responsibility for breaking into the UK’s largest Royal Air Force base and damaging two military aircraft, in what UK media on Friday described as a major security failure.
The incident occurred at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where two members of the anti-Israel group Palestine Action infiltrated the base and sprayed red paint on the engines of two Airbus Voyager refueling aircraft before fleeing the scene. Footage shared by the group shows the activists riding electric scooters onto the airstrip and vandalizing the planes.
Footage released by a pro-Palestinian group
(Video: via X)
Bodycam footage released by the group shows the activists spraying red paint directly onto the turbine engines of the aircraft, which the British Air Force describes as “essential to extending the range and operational flexibility of the UK’s air power.”
Palestine Action said the activists also used fire extinguishers and iron bars to cause further damage. They sprayed red paint on the runway and left behind a Palestinian flag. Days earlier, the same group filmed themselves vandalizing a warehouse belonging to a company that supplies military equipment to Israel.
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“Despite publicly condemning Israel, the UK continues to send military equipment, fly surveillance planes over Gaza and refuel U.S. and Israeli warplanes,” A spokesperson for the group said.
“The UK isn’t just complicit—it’s an active participant in the genocide in Gaza and in war crimes across the Middle East. By damaging the two aircraft, our activists directly intervened to prevent crimes against the Palestinian people.”
The UK Defense Ministry condemned the act of vandalism, saying: “We strongly denounce this criminal damage to Royal Air Force assets. We are cooperating closely with the police investigation. Our armed forces represent the best of Britain. They risk their lives and it’s our duty to support those who protect us.”
RAF Brize Norton is the largest airbase in the UK, with approximately 5,800 personnel. The Voyager aircraft—dubbed “flying fuel stations”—can carry up to 109 metric tons (approximately 120 U.S. tons) of fuel and are used for mid-air refueling of fighter jets.
The Royal Air Force operates nine such aircraft. Recent reports suggest some may be deployed to the Middle East if the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates.