Lithuania shuts airports, scrambles NATO jets over suspected drone incursions

Two NATO fighter jets were scrambled overnight after suspected drone incursions from Belarus triggered air alerts across large parts of Lithuania, according to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.

The incidents led to temporary closures of Vilnius and Kaunas airports, disrupting flights and delaying travelers. Lithuanian authorities reported that three flights at Vilnius Airport were affected, impacting more than 400 passengers.

Authorities said one suspected drone entered Lithuanian airspace during the second incident, traveling north across several regions before leaving the country near the Latvian border. The first incident involved drones detected in Belarus, with none entering Lithuanian airspace at that time, though one later crossed into Latvia.

Air alerts were issued in stages, first in the Vilnius and Utena regions at about 11 p.m. Tuesday, then expanded to the Alytus region and later to central and northern parts of Lithuania, with the alert raised to red and residents urged to seek shelter.

Latvia activated its air defenses as the suspected drone activity extended toward its territory, issuing an airspace threat warning and deploying interceptors, air defense units, and NATO air policing aircraft in response.

Authorities did not confirm whether any drones were shot down or whether any objects crashed, and the full circumstances of the incursions remained unclear. NATO jets detected the object but did not engage it, with weather or safety concerns cited as possible reasons.