NATO jets scrambled over Lithuania after drone intrusion near Vilnius

Fighter jets were scrambled in Lithuania after a drone was detected in the airspace over the Vilnius region, prompting a brief elevation of the country’s air threat level and a temporary suspension of operations at the capital’s airport, officials and local media said.

Lithuania’s Armed Forces declared a “yellow” alert for Vilnius County after radar systems identified objects consistent with unmanned aerial vehicles, Lithuanian media reported.

“Radar screens showed traces characteristic of unmanned aerial vehicles. Their location in the air was identified as Vilnius County,” Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, said.

The alert was lifted shortly afterwards, with authorities saying the situation had stabilised. A “yellow” level indicates a potential threat is being monitored and that precautionary measures are in place.

Vilnius Airport temporarily suspended operations during the incident before resuming normal activity once the airspace was deemed safe. No further details on the origin of the drone were immediately provided.

By Aghakazim Guliyev