NATO fighters destroy drone over Kaišiadorys district

NATO fighter jets destroyed a drone in Lithuania’s Kaišiadorys district shortly after midnight, LRT reported, citing the National Crisis Management Centre.

The drone was brought down in Kaunas County, provisionally near the village of Pratkūnai, National Crisis Management Centre head Vilmantas Vitkauskas told LRT Radio at about 1 a.m. The incident took place in a rural area near the Kaunas Reservoir, between Kaišiadorys and Kaunas.

Military police, police officers and other services were sent to the scene to identify the drone, determine its specifications and establish its intended target. No information about injuries or damage was available.

Initial information indicated that the drone had entered Lithuania from Belarus. Vitkauskas said it had travelled through the Lentvaris and Trakai areas towards the west.

A possible air threat warning was issued shortly after midnight for Vilnius and its district, as well as the municipalities of Trakai and Elektrėnai. Residents received alerts on their mobile phones, and NATO air-policing fighter jets were scrambled.

Vilnius Airport temporarily restricted its operations and airspace because of the potential threat. Operations resumed after the warning was lifted, although two flights, from Antalya and Reykjavik, were slightly delayed. Further delays or cancellations remained possible.

The previous warning to residents about a possible air threat was issued on Sunday. Authorities later determined that radar systems had detected a flock of birds.