Lithuania’s national security committee to hold closed session after air threat alerts
Lithuania’s Seimas National Security and Defence Committee (NSGK) will convene a closed emergency meeting on Thursday to assess the response to this week’s air threat alerts, committee chairman Rimantas Sinkevičius announced on Wednesday.
The session, scheduled between the morning and afternoon plenary sittings of the Seimas, will review measures taken to protect the country’s airspace, cities, and residents, Sinkevičius told the ELTA news agency. Representatives from the Ministry of National Defence, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Security Department have been summoned to provide accounts.
Sinkevičius described the initial response from authorities as adequate, noting that notifications about the potential threat were received well before public alerts were issued. “The reaction and information began circulating early Wednesday morning—long before all the danger signals were announced. At least the information provided to me was sufficient and detailed, including the alert I personally received,” he said.
Politician calls air threats “the new reality”
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, an NSGK member and leader of the Liberal Movement, characterised such incidents as “the new reality” but stressed that institutions had responded seriously. “The reaction was serious—authorities acted, residents were warned,” she said, acknowledging that repeated alerts could cause public unease.
During Thursday’s meeting, officials will face questions on how existing protocols performed, what failed, and what improvements are planned. “We have a unique opportunity to directly question those managing these situations,” Čmilytė-Nielsen added.
Background: Wednesday’s air threat
The alerts followed radar detection of an object with characteristics of an unmanned aerial vehicle near Lithuania’s border early Wednesday. NATO air policing jets were scrambled, Vilnius Airport temporarily closed its airspace, and the National Crisis Management Centre issued air raid warnings for multiple regions, including the capital. The threat was lifted less than 30 minutes later. Train services in Vilnius County were also suspended briefly.
Police later confirmed no reports of a drone crash or debris found within Lithuanian territory.