Lithuania reports possible airspace violation by two drones

Two drones may have violated Lithuanian airspace, President Gitanas Nausėda announced on Thursday, citing preliminary data.

In a Facebook post, Nausėda stated that NATO fighter jets had been scrambled and were prepared to intercept the drones. He urged residents to follow official warnings and seek shelter if alerted.

Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė confirmed that a suspected drone had been detected moving northward from Pabrade in the Utena district, triggering an air threat alert. The drone prompted NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission to prepare for interception, with Lithuanian forces authorised to destroy the object if necessary.

Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre declared a red-level air threat, indicating an unidentified object flying in or likely to enter national airspace, posing a potential danger. Residents were advised to move to the nearest shelter or a secure indoor location, following the “two-wall rule” for protection, and to monitor updates from public broadcaster LRT and the emergency alert system LT72.

Recent weeks have seen multiple drone incidents reported across Lithuania and neighbouring Baltic states, as well as Finland.