Air threat in Lithuania lifted after weather balloon identified

Lithuania’s military lifted a yellow-level air threat alert in the Vilnius district on Saturday after determining that a radar blip initially suspected to be a drone was in fact a weather balloon, LRT.lt reports.

Residents were informed they could return to normal activities after the alert was cancelled. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed the object had entered Lithuanian airspace from the direction of Belarus and was identified as a meteorological balloon, not a drone.

NATO air-policing jets were briefly activated in response to the initial detection. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, said the object’s initial parameters resembled those of a drone, prompting the activation of forces capable of neutralising it if necessary.

Vitkauskas advised residents to remain vigilant, as similar objects could appear again, and to keep phones nearby with sound enabled in case of further alerts. He also recommended knowing the location of the nearest shelter, such as a basement or designated protective structure, in the event of a future incident.

Shelters are intended for short-term protection against direct and indirect threats, including airstrikes, artillery fire, or explosion shockwaves. Suitable locations include residential basements, underground parking garages, tunnels, or non-flammable storage rooms.