Cyprus declared the all-clear on Wednesday after a second alert over a suspicious object near the British Bases proved to be a false alarm, as the government announced that HMS Dragon and a Spanish frigate are heading to the island within days.
Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, briefing journalists at the Presidential Palace, said information about a suspected object had been investigated and it emerged that it was not heading towards Cyprus or the Bases.
All measures and protocols had been activated by the British Bases Administration as a precaution, and residents of the Bases were informed that the alert had ended, he said.
The previous night’s alert followed a similar pattern. Information was received at around 22:50 in coordination with the British Bases, triggering all security protocols.
The alert was lifted at around 23:15 after it was established that no incident had occurred. Letymbiotis said an “incident” was defined as an object with a confirmed trajectory towards the British Bases or another target.
Letymbiotis said Cyprus’s Defence Minister Palmas met his British counterpart this morning during a brief visit to the island. The meeting took place in a very good climate, he said, with both sides assessing the regional situation and describing political-level cooperation as full and very close.
They agreed that coordination would remain at a high level. The British Defence Minister informed Palmas of the UK government’s decision to send HMS Dragon, expected next week, and anti-drone helicopters, also expected to arrive in the coming period.
The UK’s decision was its own and was not made following coordination with Cyprus, though Letymbiotis said the necessary coordination would follow. Cyprus also thanked Greece, France, Italy, and Spain for their readiness to assist with precautionary measures.
President Christodoulides spoke by telephone with the Italian Prime Minister just before the briefing to thank her for Italy’s decision to contribute, and also with the Spanish Prime Minister, who confirmed Spain’s intention to assist.
Spain is to send one of its most technologically advanced frigates, Letymbiotis said, which also has capabilities for humanitarian and civilian evacuation operations. Cyprus is in contact with additional countries beyond those already announced, he added.
On the SMS alert system tested the previous evening, Letymbiotis acknowledged variations in delivery times across providers and users, noting that more than one million mobile phone users in Cyprus had been targeted.
He said the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy had met with providers and identified several parameters for improvement, with teams working intensively on the issue.
The SMS system is a supplementary measure and was not sent by the government directly but by providers to their own users.
He added that the National Security Council is in continuous 24-hour consultation through all available means, adding that he was not aware of a new formal NSC meeting being scheduled at this time.
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