Lithuania to test public warning system with sirens and phone alerts

Lithuania will test its public warning and information system on Tuesday, sounding sirens for three minutes and sending alerts to mobile phones, LRT reported.

The sirens will sound from 11:52 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. After they stop, information and recommendations for residents will be broadcast on Lithuanian National Radio and Television and regional and local radio stations. Mobile alerts will be sent from 11:52 a.m. until noon to phones with alert reception enabled.

The Fire and Rescue Department said the test will take place during Vytis Vault 2026, the largest exercise to test the country’s mobilisation system. It advised residents who hear the sirens to turn on a radio or television, listen to the information and follow the recommendations.

Lithuania currently has 1,163 warning sirens, which can reach about 69 percent of the population, according to the department. Plans call for 275 new sirens to be installed and 600 existing ones to be connected to a centralised control system. By 2029, the country is expected to have 1,438 sirens, including 1,125 under the department’s centralised control, capable of warning about 75 percent of residents.