Possible drone detected in Utena district as air raid sirens sound and NATO fighters scramble

A suspected drone has been detected in Lithuania’s Utena district, triggering a “red alert” air threat warning and the activation of air raid sirens, the National Crisis Management Centre reported on Wednesday.

Residents were urged to “immediately seek shelter or a safe location, take care of loved ones, and await further instructions.” The alert indicates an unidentified object is either flying in Lithuanian airspace or poses a high probability of entering it, potentially threatening the country’s territory.

Under the warning, people should move to the nearest shelter or, if unavailable, follow the “two-wall rule” by taking cover in an interior room. Authorities advised monitoring updates from public broadcaster LRT and the emergency information platform LT72.

The BNS news agency noted that air threat alerts had been issued in parts of Lithuania earlier on Wednesday. Recent weeks have seen multiple drone incidents reported across Lithuania and neighbouring Baltic states, as well as in Finland.