Blue/Yellow issues guidance for drone and air attacks

Ukrainian support fund Blue/Yellow has issued recommendations for Lithuanian residents on how to respond to drone and air attacks, LRT reported. The civil protection guidance is based on real-life experience from Ukraine’s war zones and is intended to help people in Lithuania prepare for potential threats in the air.

“Ukraine’s experience shows that when an attack begins, there is no time left to think. Only trained instincts and a clear plan work,” said Jonas Ohmanas, a co-founder of Blue/Yellow.

He said that discussing preparedness was not intended to cause panic. Instead, a clear action plan could help people avoid it and feel more secure by knowing how to protect themselves and their loved ones in a real emergency.

Prepare before an alert

Residents should identify a primary and a backup shelter near their homes. They should walk to both locations several times so they know the routes, including in darkness.

Families should agree where they will shelter, how they will contact one another and who will take care of children or other relatives unable to look after themselves. Children should be told not to leave home or school without an adult’s permission when danger begins.

Blue/Yellow also recommends completing first aid training and learning how to use tourniquets. Residents should install official national warning apps on their phones in advance.

The organisation recommends preparing an “anxiety backpack” containing essential items and keeping it near an exit. A list of suggested items has been published by Vilnius City Municipality together with Blue/Yellow’s recommendations.

What to do when an alert sounds

At home, do not go onto a balcony or stand near windows. Take your backpack and phone and go to a shelter without using a lift. People on upper floors should descend as low as possible by stairs if they can do so without going outside or wasting time.

If reaching a shelter is impossible, follow the “two-wall rule”: there should be at least two solid walls between you and the outdoors, such as an interior corridor or bathroom.

If an alert occurs while you are driving, do not treat the vehicle as safe shelter. If it is possible to stop safely and a suitable place to wait nearby, leave the vehicle and move there. Do not gather around the car after stopping.

People outdoors should not run home if a shelter is closer. They should seek the nearest cover and avoid hiding near glass building facades, at bus stops or under cars.

In a restaurant, shop or other public indoor space, do not continue eating or shopping while waiting to see what happens. Ask staff immediately where the nearest shelter is and go there.

If an attack begins in an open area, lie down immediately, cover your head with your hands and open your mouth. This helps equalise pressure and protect the eardrums from rupturing.

What not to do

Do not photograph, film or publish the operation of air defence systems or the locations of strikes. Such information could help an enemy adjust its fire.

Blue/Yellow also advises people not to gather in groups of people or vehicles during an alert.