Over the last few weeks, a number of drones have mysteriously been spotted over three air bases used by the US Air Force (USAF) in the UK.
The unmanned aerial devices were first spotted on 20 November, over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.
The unusual activity has prompted an investigation by civilian police and supported by the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Around 60 British troops, including counter-drone specialists, have also been deployed to help defend the bases.
What we know about the drone sightings
The drones were first spotted in the vicinity of the three airbases last Wednesday.
Similar movements occurred again on Friday 22 November and “during nighttime hours” on Monday this week, a spokesperson for the USAF in Europe said.
The spokesperson said the number of aerial vehicles “fluctuated” and “varied between the bases”.
When asked by Sky News’ security and defence editor Deborah Haynes, the spokesperson said there has been “no impact to residents or infrastructure and [they] have not been identified as hostile”.
“However they are still continuously being monitored to ensure the safety and security of the installations.”
Haynes added that it remains “unclear how many drones are involved, who is operating them and why they are doing it” but it seems “sufficiently serious” for the UK to deploy military personnel.
Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which the USAF describes as the foundation of its combat capability in Europe.
Image: RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. Pic: PA
Mildenhall hosts the 100th Air Refuelling Wing, and Feltwell is a hub for housing, schools and other services.
The three bases are leased by the USAF from Britain.
What has the UK and US said?
The MoD said it is supporting the USAF response to the sightings, adding that it “takes threats seriously”.
This response is understood to include the deployment of around 60 military personnel, including members of the RAF Regiment’s Force Protection Wing, with specialist skills in countering drones to help protect the US bases and try to find out who is responsible for operating the unmanned aerial vehicles.
Image: RAF Lakenheath also in Suffolk. Pic: PA
The RAF troops operate the ORCUS counter-uncrewed air system, which has the ability to “detect, track, identify and, if necessary, defeat hostile drones”, according to the RAF website.
US military units said they were still monitoring the airspace over the three bases on Tuesday evening.
Who could be operating the drones?
Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder said on Tuesday it was too soon to draw conclusions about whether the drones were sent by hobbyists.
He admitted small drones are fairly common.
However, one security source told Sky News that the drone activity was “awfully coordinated.” Another said it was “odd” and “very weird.”
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, agreed that it did not appear that the drones were the work of hobbyists, adding that the US military would continue to investigate.
Though it is unclear whether the drones had hostile intent, the sightings come as hostilities between Russia and Ukraine have significantly escalated.
Ukraine has struck targets inside Russia with intermediate-range missiles supplied by the US and Britain after President Joe Biden authorised the use of the weapons.
Soon after, President Vladimir warned he could hit back against countries supplying weapons being used against targets in Russia.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Image: Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Image: Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Image: Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Image: Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Image: Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
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Image: Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
Just Stop Oil (JSO) insists it’s been “successful” – as its members ceremoniously hang up their orange high-vis vests during a march in central London.
Since the group formed three years ago, it’s drawn attention and criticism for its colourful, controversial protests, which ranged from disrupting sporting events to throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and climbing on gantries over the M25. It sprayed orange paint over Stonehenge, and cost police forces tens of millions of pounds.
Those days are now behind it; to the relief of many.
As a few hundred activists marched through London on Saturday, blocking roads as they went; taxi drivers blared their horns and football fans shouted abuse from the pavement.
The PA News Agency filmed the moment a white minivan seemed to drive towards a group of protesters blocking the road.
Protesters shouted “I’m being pushed back!” to police, while the driver could be heard shouting “What about my right to get home?” to the officers gathered.
But JSO never set out to be popular. And it believes its tactics – though hated – have been successful; thanks to the new Labour government’s commitment to not issue new oil or gas exploration licences.
That’s why, it says, its ceasing direct action.
Image: JSO hangs up its high-vis jackets in central London on Saturday
Image: A washing line of high-vis jackets signifies JSO’s disbanding
“This moment marks the success of the JSO campaign – our demand was to end new oil and gas licences and that is now government policy.
“As a result of which four billion barrels of oil are being kept under the North Sea. The campaign has reached a natural end.”
Dr Oscar Berglund, senior lecturer in international public and social policy, disagrees that JSO is disappearing because it’s been “successful”.
He told Sky News policing strength and public perception might have more to do with it.
“They have very low levels of popularity. About 17% of the British population are kind of broadly supportive of what Just Stop Oil do. And that’s too low to recruit.
“It’s difficult to recruit members to something that is that unpopular, and then that a lot of people for good reason I think have kind of stopped believing in that kind of disruption as a means to achieve meaningful change.”
Group triggers specific new protest laws
One thing it did change is the law.
Policing commentator Graham Wettone tells us: “Obstruction of the highway, obstruction of rail networks for example, these are specific offences now.
“It’s given the police more tactics, more methods, more offences they can consider, even stopping and searching somebody who may have something to either lock themselves on or glue themselves to something.”
Image: A JSO activist holds a picture of an imprisoned colleague
Emma Smart was held in prison for her activism with both Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
“The high-vis might be going away,” she tells me, “but we aren’t.”
“These people aren’t going anywhere, we are still committed, dedicated, terrified by the failings of this government and governments around the world.”
Image: JSO activists throw orange paint at van Gogh’s sunflowers
Image: Orange smoke set off by JSO protesters at Stonehenge
She hopes for a time of reflection before it returns in a new form but says the need for climate activism is stronger than ever.
She also believes that while most people dislike JSO tactics, it still raises awareness of the cause and might even push people to more moderate campaign groups.
Just Stop Oil came behind other, similarly controversial climate campaign groups like Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, and as it says goodbye, its disruptive methods have been seized upon by other organisations like the Pro-Palestinian Youth Justice.
The infamous Just Stop Oil orange vests might be going away, but the individual activists, their cause and campaign tactics feel here to stay.