Lithuanian armed forces confirmed that radar detected an object with the characteristic features of a drone in Belarus. NATO fighter jets were scrambled for airspace surveillance. Flight operations at Vilnius Airport and public transport in the capital were temporarily suspended.
This is the first time since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 that an entire population in an EU and NATO member state — including the president, prime minister, and members of parliament — had to take shelter. Last year, after a similar alert, only political leaders were brought to safety.
The origin of the drone remains unclear. However, in the past, Ukrainian drones attacking targets in northern Russia have repeatedly entered the airspace of the Baltic states. Just on Tuesday, a NATO fighter jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia; the Estonian government subsequently emphasized that Ukraine has the right to strike military targets on Russian territory. Ukraine again apologized to the Baltic states for the flights of its drones.
Source: www.bbc.com
