Fighter jets scrambled after air threat warning in Vilnius and Ukmergė

Lithuania’s armed forces issued a yellow warning of a possible air threat, prompting fighter jets to take off and alert messages to be sent to residents’ mobile phones, LRT reported. The warning covered Vilnius County and Ukmergė.

The National Crisis Management Centre said the controlled airspace around Vilnius Airport had been temporarily closed because of unidentified flying objects.

Centre head Vilmantas Vitkauskas told LRT Radio that the object had not been fully identified. Residents had reported seeing a possible object beyond Vilnius, moving towards Jonava, but officials could not confirm those reports. Vitkauskas said a warning could also be issued in Kaunas District.

The centre said the object’s characteristics were similar to those of a drone, but it could also be a flock of birds.

Residents were urged to identify a safe place or shelter and wait for further updates. A safe place can be a basement, a windowless interior room or a location with at least two walls between a person and the outside of the building. People were advised to avoid windows, balconies, lifts, open spaces and the top floor of a building. Anyone who sees a suspicious object should not approach it and should call 112.