It is rising sharply in its region, as one after another the countries of the region – with the latest one – appear to be faced with threats from , but also with security incidents that include violations of airspace by drones.
This alarming picture became even clearer today, as an “air danger” warning was in force in Lithuania from this morning until a while ago. As a result, citizens were asked to seek shelter, the president, prime minister and members of the government were taken to shelters, and the capital’s airport was suspended due to a violation of the country’s airspace by a drone.
BREAKING: Lithuania activated NATO air policing measures after a radar signal with characteristics consistent with an unmanned aerial vehicle was detected near the border with Belarus, triggering air attack alerts across multiple regions of the country.
Lithuanian authorities…
— GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo)
The NATO and European Union member state also suspended train traffic in the Vilnius area, while schools and kindergartens were ordered to take children to shelters during the incident, which lasted nearly an hour.
“Seek shelter in a safe place immediately, take care of your loved ones, and wait for new instructions,” the Lithuanian military said in a message sent to residents of the capital, Vilnius. Air and rail traffic has now been restored, but air danger warnings remain in place for some parts of the country. A warning was also issued at the parliament building in Vilnius, where MPs and ministers were.
🇱🇹Vilnius today.
And yes, we are safe now!— Auraja ‡ (@Twee_Papillon)
Speaking to Reuters from an underground bunker, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said military aircraft were operating to neutralize the threat.
“NATO’s air policing mission has been activated and is targeting the drone detected in Lithuanian airspace,” Kaunas said.
What had come before
In recent days, a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone in Estonia, while Latvia’s government resigned last week over its handling of similar violations.
Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone strikes against Russia, including in areas around the Baltic Sea. Since March, several Ukrainian military drones have accidentally entered the airspace of NATO member states such as Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which border Russia. The Baltic states, which are staunch supporters of Ukraine, have attributed the drone incidents to Moscow, while arguing that Kiev has the right to strike Russian military targets.
Lithuania’s national crisis management center issued the alert that mobilized the country, claiming that a drone had been spotted in neighboring Belarus and was heading for Lithuania, adding that its origin had not yet been confirmed.
What does Moscow say about the situation?
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said for his part that the Russian military is closely monitoring the situation regarding drones flying in the airspace of the Baltic states and is formulating an appropriate response. The Kremlin also condemned the statements of Lithuania’s top diplomat as “bordering on insanity”, after Foreign Minister Kestutis Budris said that NATO must show Moscow that it is capable of penetrating the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad is a Russian enclave located between two NATO member states, Lithuania and Poland, on the Baltic coast. It has a population of about one million and is heavily militarized, serving as the headquarters of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
Budris, whose country is Ukraine’s staunch ally against Russia, said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung published on Monday that: “We have to show the Russians that we are capable of breaking through the defenses of the little fortress they have built in Kaliningrad. NATO has the ability, if necessary, to level Russian air defenses and missile bases there.”
Asked about the remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television that the post shows how reckless some politicians in the Baltic countries are and should not be taken seriously.
“The statement borders on insanity,” Peskov said. “Unfortunately, the Baltic countries are obsessively anti-Russian. This anti-Russian sentiment clouds their judgment, prevents them from thinking about the future and acting in the interests of their own countries,” he added.
Moscow has expressed concern that Ukrainian drones may be using Baltic airspace to launch attacks on targets inside Russia — a claim rejected by Kiev and the three Baltic states. In fact, just yesterday there was tension in the UN Security Council, after a related report and threats from the Russian ambassador to the UN body.
