Pro-Palestinian activists have broken into RAF Brize Norton undetected and sprayed two military planes with red paint.
Footage posted online by Palestine Action on Friday morning shows two people inside the Oxfordshire airbase, with one riding on a scooter up to the Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tankers and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine.
The group referenced RAF flights over Gaza out of its base in Cyprus, and said the supply planes had been put “out of service” while the activists were able to “evade security and arrest”.
The Ministry of Defence strongly condemned the “vandalism of Royal Air Force assets” and said it was working closely with the police, who were investigating.
Palestine Action has engaged in similar activity since the start of the current war in Gaza, predominantly targeting arms companies. In May, it claimed responsibility for the daubing of a US military plane in Ireland.
The group said the activists who entered RAF Brize Norton used repurposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the planes’ engines.
It also said they caused “further damage” using crowbars – though this is not visible in the bodycam footage it provided.
Video shows the activists then roaming freely around the airbase.
A Palestine Action spokesperson said: “Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US and Israeli fighter jets.”
RAF Brize Norton serves as the hub for UK strategic air transport and refuelling, including flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
An MoD spokeswoman said: “Our armed forces represent the very best of Britain. They put their lives on the line for us, and their display of duty, dedication and selfless personal sacrifice are an inspiration to us all.
“It is our responsibility to support those who defend us.”
