Cypriot officials say France will dispatch a warship to Cyprus to help bolster the country’s anti-drone defences after several Iranian-made drones were launched towards a British military base on the eastern Mediterranean island.
France will also send additional land-based, anti-drone and anti-missile systems to the country, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Germany also responded positively to a request to send a warship, according to three officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to provide details publicly.
The equipment will arrive in Cyprus as soon as possible, they said.
Greece has already sent four F-16 fighter jets to Cyprus while two of its frigates are on their way.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides confirmed he was in contact with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in what he said was "immediate (Greek) response being followed by other European states".
"This proves in practice that Greece is paving the way for how the European Union should respond to such cases," Christodoulides said on Tuesday.
Christodoulides made the statement during a meeting between him and his Defence Minister Vassilis Palma and Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Greek Chief of Defence Staff General Dimitris Houpis in Cyprus.
The moves are part of the activation of the Greek-Cypriot Unified Defence Doctrine, a common strategic plan between Athens and Nicosia in the event of a threat.
Drones likely from Hezbollah
A drone struck the UK base, RAF Akrotiri, shortly after midnight on Monday and caused only minor material damage to an aircraft hangar.
Another two drones were intercepted by British warplanes on the same day after they were scrambled from the air base, officials said.
Cyprus' government said the drones were launched from Lebanon, likely by Hezbollah militants.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that British military bases in Cyprus will not be used by Washington for its operations in Iran, despite criticism from US President Donald Trump.
Starmer announced on Sunday that he had agreed to a US request to use British bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose".
But in comments to parliament on Monday, he said this would not include bases on the Mediterranean island.
"The bases in Cyprus are not being used and not going to be used by the US ... because they're not suitable," he said.
