Up to six drones were seen flying over a nuclear plant, it has been revealed.
The unidentified aerial vehicles (UAVs) spotted above the Capenhurst facility in Cheshire were reported to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC).
The sighting – logged as a ‘report of 5 – 6 drones flying over and around the site’ – was one of two in the space of four days in 2019.
A note on the second incident simply states: ‘Report of a drone overflying the site.’ A log previously released by the government suggested that there had been a ‘swarm’ incident – where interlinked drones take part in the same operation or attack – at an unnamed nuclear facility.
Capenhurst enriches toxic uranium, allowing nuclear plants around the world to generate electricity.
The sightings were among 11 reports of ‘unauthorised aerial incursions’ at UK nuclear facilities between May 2019 and last November. The latest was at Springfields, near Preston.
Peter Burt, of the Drone Wars UK website, said: ‘Some of the incidents are probably just cases of careless flying by individual drone operators. But others, if accurate, seem far more malicious in their intent, such as the report of several drones flying over and around the Capenhurst uranium enrichment site in July 2019.’
The reports come at a time of heightened tensions between the West, China and Russia, which have both been linked to physical and cyber spying operations in the UK.
A spokesman for the CNC said: ‘To our knowledge, there has been no confirmed malicious use of a drone in relation to the UK’s civil nuclear sites.’
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