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NATO fighter jets were scrambled twice overnight after suspected drone incursions from Belarus triggered air alerts across large parts of Lithuania, forcing temporary airport closures and prompting neighboring Latvia to activate its air defenses, Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported Wednesday.
At least one suspected drone entered Lithuanian airspace during the second incident, traveling north across several regions before leaving the country, according to Lithuanian officials.
The first yellow air alert was issued in the Vilnius and Utena regions at approximately 11 p.m. Tuesday and lifted shortly after midnight.
A second alert was later declared in the southern Alytus region. It was then expanded to parts of central and northern Lithuania and raised to red, with residents urged to seek shelter.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre, said authorities initially detected three drones in Belarus during the first incident.
None entered Lithuanian airspace at that stage, although one subsequently crossed into Latvia, he said.
During the second incident, a suspected drone was believed to have entered Lithuania from Belarus near the southern town of Druskininkai.
The object then traveled north across several regions before leaving Lithuanian airspace near Pasvalys, close to the Latvian border.
Vitkauskas said NATO fighter jets detected the object but did not shoot it down.
He suggested that poor weather conditions or safety concerns may have influenced the decision not to engage the suspected drone.
The incidents also disrupted civilian aviation, forcing the temporary closure of Vilnius and Kaunas airports.
Vitkauskas said three flights at Vilnius Airport were affected, disrupting travel plans for more than 400 passengers.
Meanwhile, Latvia's National Armed Forces issued an airspace threat warning for several municipalities early Wednesday as the suspected drone activity extended toward its territory.
Latvian authorities activated drone interceptors, air defense units and NATO air policing aircraft in response to the threat.
The total number of drones involved remained unclear, as did whether any of the objects had crashed or been shot down.
Authorities had not established the full circumstances surrounding the suspected incursions.
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