Lithuania reports radar detection of drone near border but no confirmed crash

Lithuanian police confirmed Tuesday that no reports have been received of a drone crashing within the country’s territory, despite earlier radar detections of an unidentified aerial object near the border, state broadcaster LRT and the BNS news agency reported.

The Lithuanian military announced early Tuesday that a radar signature consistent with a drone had been observed close to the national border, prompting the activation of a NATO air policing mission. Airspace over Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed as a precaution.

Residents in the districts of Ignalina, Utena, Švenčionys, and Zarasai were initially issued a yellow-level air threat alert. The warning was later extended to Vilnius County, where a red alert—advising civilians to seek shelter—was briefly declared before being lifted at 10:51 a.m. local time.

Police spokesperson Ramūnas Matonis told the Elta news agency that authorities had not received any confirmed reports of a drone crash or debris within Lithuania. Social media speculation suggesting possible crash sites in parts of the capital or elsewhere remained unverified.

The detected radar signature originated from Belarusian airspace, triggering the NATO response. Recent weeks have seen multiple drone incidents across the Baltics and Finland. On Sunday, an unmanned aircraft, suspected to be of Ukrainian origin and carrying explosives, crashed in Lithuania’s Utena district. The explosives were neutralised the following day.

Earlier this year, another Ukrainian military drone, reportedly disrupted by Russian electronic warfare, crashed near the Belarusian border in Varėna district. Last week, a drone entering Estonian airspace was intercepted and downed by a NATO fighter jet. Lithuania has previously recorded incursions by Russian “Gerbera” drones, one of which carried explosives.