Lithuania tests nationwide warning sirens during civil defence exercise

Lithuania tested its public warning system on Tuesday as part of the Vyčio skliautas 2026 exercise, LRT reported. Sirens sounded nationwide for three minutes, from 11:52 to 11:55.

After the sirens stopped, information and recommendations were broadcast on Lithuanian National Radio and Television and on regional and local radio stations. Warning messages were also sent to mobile phones from 11:52 until noon. The messages can be received only on phones with the warning function enabled.

The Fire and Rescue Department said residents who hear warning sirens should immediately turn on a radio or television, listen to the information provided and follow the recommendations.

The exercise is coordinated by the National Crisis Management Centre and the Mobilisation and Civil Resistance Department at the Ministry of National Defence. Lithuania currently has 1,163 warning sirens, which can alert 69% of the population.

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 managed centrally by the Fire and Rescue Department. The system is then expected to be able to alert about 75% of the population.