Published 2 days ago • loading... • Updated 24 hours ago
Lithuania Told Residents to Go to Shelters After Detecting a Flying Object
On Sunday morning, Lithuania ordered residents in central and northern parts to take shelter for about an hour due to an unrecognized flying object, issuing a "red" air alert.
During the same period, Latvia issued and later cancelled a "yellow" air-raid alert in regions bordering Lithuania, citing a "possible threat," Latvia's army said.
NATO air-policing fighter jets scrambled to the area while the "red" alert was in effect, and officials closed Kaunas Airport until the situation resolved.
In recent months, Ukrainian drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace in the Baltics, with Kyiv attributing course deviations to Russian signal jamming.
These repeated airspace incursions have increased international fears that Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine could extend beyond NATO's borders, heightening regional security concerns.
After the intrusion of an unmanned drone into Lithuania's airspace, investigations are under way. Minister of Defence Kaunas stated that Poland had been proposed a joint investigation. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a Ukrainian drone had been diverted by a Russian jamming station.
This was the first serious incident since NATO fighters shot down a lost Russian drone on Lithuania on 15 September. On 14 August, a NATO fighter also shot down a lost Ukrainian drone on Latvia.