Ignalina moves children to shelters after drone alert near Lithuanian border

Schools and kindergartens in Lithuania’s Ignalina district have begun moving children to shelters following reports of a suspected drone detected near the country’s eastern border, LRT.lt reported on Tuesday.

Laimutis Ragaišis, mayor of Ignalina district, confirmed to the public broadcaster that local authorities had received official alerts about radar signatures matching unmanned aerial vehicles in the border regions of Ignalina, Utena, Zarasai, and Švenčionys. A NATO air policing mission has been activated in response.

“We know exactly as much as everyone else—we received the same notifications from the services and the military confirming that some aerial activity had occurred, is occurring, or will occur,” Ragaišis said. “The system worked as intended, and we received those alerts just like all residents of the district.”

As a precaution, the municipality ordered educational institutions to relocate children to designated shelters. Authorities are also preparing public announcements via the district’s website and social media, advising residents to move to safer locations. “We’re taking every possible measure to maximise safety and prevent any unfortunate incidents,” the mayor added.

The Lithuanian military stated in a release that the alert was triggered by radar tracks exhibiting characteristics of uncrewed aircraft. The detected activity prompted the activation of NATO’s air policing mission over the region.

Neighbouring Utena district reported receiving preliminary information from the National Crisis Management Centre but had not yet recorded any confirmed incursion. “For now, we’re monitoring the situation and waiting for further updates,” said Utena mayor Marijus Kaukėnas, noting that local institutions had reviewed safety protocols and readied shelters in advance.