Lithuania says drone sighting turns out to be flock of birds, after NATO summons jets
- On Sunday, Lithuanian authorities temporarily closed Vilnius International Airport after detecting a suspected drone sighting. The National Crisis Management Centre confirmed the object was a flock of birds, and the airport reopened within 38 minutes.
- Radar operators face persistent technical challenges because 'on initial radar readings, marks left by birds and drones can be similar,' the National Crisis Management Centre noted. This ambiguity forces authorities to trigger rapid military responses even when threats remain unverified.
- A fighter jet was summoned from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian air force is currently based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission. The jet conducted visual identification of the detected object.
- The temporary closure reflects extreme sensitivity of Baltic airspace monitoring, where rapid military intervention is standard practice. This incident demonstrates the ongoing pressure on regional defenses to maintain immediate capabilities during periods of high alert.
- As Russia intensifies aggression against Ukraine, NATO Allies remain on high alert, with President Gitanas Nausda emphasizing that such readiness is vital for the region's defense. The incident underscores the Baltics' role as NATO's eastern flank amid ongoing security pressures.
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66 Articles
Gitanas Nausėda thanked the Allied forces for their response and linked the episode to the increase in Russian attacks on Ukraine. The incident occurred in the midst of a series of drone incursions into NATO's eastern flank countries and a day after another alert in Lithuania ended up being a false alarm.
A drone has been shot down by a NATO fighter jet in Lithuanian airspace, according to…
NATO fighter jets were scrambled in the early hours of Tuesday after a possible drone was spotted in the area near Vilnius, Lithuania. This was announced by the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Center. As stated in the announcement, the fighter jets were scrambled due to the possible presence of an unmanned aircraft near the Lithuanian capital. Read more at iefimerida.gr NATO fighter jets were scrambled in the early hours of Tuesday after a…
Drone coming from Belarus was shot down half an hour after entering the airspace of the Baltic country. Lithuanian President thanked for the "quick response" and promised to defend the territory.
NATO fighter jets destroy drone after it enters Lithuanian airspace
NATO fighter jets destroyed a drone after it entered Lithuanian airspace, according to President Gitanas Nausėda. The drone was detected shortly after midnight Monday, triggering air-danger alerts in and around the capital, Vilnius, as well as nearby districts. Lithuania’s public broadcaster, LRT, reported that authorities activated NATO fighter jets after the object was spotted near […]
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