Lithuania says drone sighting turns out to be flock of birds, after NATO summons jets
Authorities reopened Vilnius airport after NATO jets identified the alert as birds, ending a 38-minute disruption and avoiding a broader air threat response.
- 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.
226 Articles
226 Articles
NATO fighter planes shot down a drone over Lithuania, announced on Tuesday the Lithuanian president. ...
Sueddeutsche Zeitung
www.kleinezeitung.atThe Baltic states have felt particularly threatened since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Together with allies, Lithuania wants to defend its airspace.
MApN raised two F-16 aircraft during the night, after the radars detected drones in Ukraine, near the border. No target entered Romania's airspace, according to the Ministry of Defence. The radar surveillance system of the Ministry of National Defence detected several aerial targets in Ukraine on Tuesday, September 15th. The article Alert in Tulcea. MAPPN detected drones near the border with Ukraine and RO-Alert messages for the population first…
The drone, believed to have entered Lithuanian airspace from the direction of Belarus, was shot down and destroyed by NATO fighter jets. Following the incident, flights at Vilnius Airport were temporarily restricted.
Once again, a drone enters Baltic Lithuania. This time it is said to have been launched from Belarus. Nato reacts, Poland announces the start of "air operations" in its airspace.
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