The British forces at RAF Akrotiri appeared unprepared for the drone attack on the base on May 2, the Mayor of Kourion, Pantelis Georgiou, has told members of the House Interior Affairs Committee.
Georgiou, who rushed to the scene after the incident, said he was notified by the British at around 00:15 on the night of the attack. “People were in a panic,” he told MPs, adding that he immediately held discussions with British personnel about what steps should be taken, including whether to evacuate Akrotiri.
Sirens sounded for four hours — something Georgiou said he had never experienced before — and he noted there was no established protocol governing what actions should be taken.
The mayor said he was satisfied with the contact he had with the Interior Minister and with Civil Defence, whose personnel reached the area at around 01:30–01:45 a.m. He highlighted a further complication: Civil Defence is not normally entitled to access the Bases area. On the night, access was granted on the basis that personnel were operating under the mayor’s supervision.
With dawn approaching and the British still unclear on whether they intended to order an evacuation of Episkopi, Georgiou said the decision was taken jointly by himself and the Interior Minister. “We decided with the minister to evacuate Akrotiri because the British were not being clear,” he said.
The mayor also drew attention to the absence of shelters and public warning sirens in the area, describing this as a matter that must be addressed.
Following the evacuation, around 800 people — approximately 80 per cent of residents — returned to Episkopi.
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