Utena region lifts air threat alert after drone sightings

The Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) announced on Thursday that an air threat alert in the Utena region, triggered by drone sightings, has been lifted.

The warning was issued at 16:24 local time and remained in effect for less than 90 minutes. According to the Lithuanian military, NATO fighter jets conducting air policing missions have returned to base.

A military helicopter has been dispatched to inspect the area where radar contact with the objects was lost, the armed forces stated.

Earlier reports from the BNS news agency indicated that the region had been placed under the highest-level red air threat alert, signalling that an unidentified object was either flying in Lithuanian airspace or posed a high risk of entering it. The alert level was later downgraded.

Initial reports mentioned a single object detected by radar, but this was later updated to confirm two objects flying in close proximity.