Lithuania weighs changes to air alert rules after Varėna incident

Lithuania is reviewing whether to change its public warning procedure after residents were not alerted about an object that entered the country near Varėna, LRT reported, citing Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas.

“An analysis is being carried out, and if we see such a need, we will reach a common agreement and change the warning algorithm,” Kaunas said in an interview published by 15min.

He said the existing information rules had not met all the necessary criteria in the Varėna case. After requesting detailed information from the military, officials found inaccuracies related to the timing and sound of the incident, he said. The Defence Staff has been tasked with analysing whether additional criteria or circumstances should be included in the procedure for informing residents.

On Sunday, some residents in southeastern Lithuania were warned about a possible air threat after radar operators detected what was later determined to be a flock of birds. Earlier that morning, radar near Varėna had detected an object entering Lithuania and later moving into Russia’s Kaliningrad Region. No air alert was issued because there was insufficient data.

Kaunas said he had since received clear answers from the Lithuanian military but would not disclose details that could reveal the country’s decision-making and detection procedures.

On Tuesday night, NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuania from Belarus near the Kruonis pumped-storage plant in Kaišiadorys district. Residents of Vilnius and Kaunas counties received warnings about a likely air threat while the drone was flying through Lithuanian territory.