The group, Palestine Action, shared pictures online about the duo’s actions.

Two members of a pro-Palestine group broke into RAF Brize Norton and damaged two aircraft, Palestine Action has claimed. In footage posted on social media, the group claims to have entered the base in Oxfordshire and to have escaped undetected overnight. It wrote on X: “Palestine Action break into RAF Brize Norton and damage two military aircrafts.

“Flights depart daily from the base to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. From Cyprus, British planes collect intelligence, refuel fighter jets and transport weapons to commit genocide in Gaza. Not only did actionists manage to break into Britain’s largest air force base… they also escaped undetected. Ordinary people can take direct action to intervene in the genocide.”

The Ministry of Defence and Thames Valley Police have been approached for comment.

Palestine Action have damaged two military planes at RAF Brize Norton (Image: Palestine Action)

Palestine Action’s video shows two activists on e-scooters approaching an aircraft before one of the pair sprays red paint into an engine using a re-purposed fire extinguisher. The group said paint was sprayed into engines on two Airbus Voyager planes, which are used for air-to-air refuelling and to transport military cargo.

Red paint was also sprayed across the runway and a Palestine flag was left at the scene before the activists fled on the e-scooters. Palestine Action said both activists evaded security and arrest.

RAF Brize Norton is the largest Royal Air Force base with about 5,800 service personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors.

It is home to the RAF’s Air Mobility Force, which includes strategic and tactical air transportand air-to-air refuelling forces. It also hosts reserve units.

The base has a mixed aircraft fleet and provides rapid global mobility in support of UK overseas operations and exercises. Aircraft based there also refuel fighter jets on overseas operations and the UK.

Activists used re-purposed fire extinguishers to spray red paint into the engines (Image: Palestine Action)

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/Israeli fighter jets.

“Britain isn’t just complicit, it’s an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.

“By decommissioning two military planes, Palestine Action have directly intervened to break the chains of oppression.”

The reported breach at RAF Brize Norton by activists will no doubt raise serious questions about security at the base and other stations across the country.

Break-ins appear to be relatively rare at RAF bases. In March 2003, two people cut through a fence at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire in protest at the then looming Iraq War.

The RAF said at the time that the pair were unable to get close to its aircraft, though the culprits managed to damage vehicles. The MoD said it would review security following that break-in.