In brief
On Tuesday, Lithuania's top leaders took refuge in emergency shelters during a drone alert that caused widespread panic and disruption in Vilnius. Flights were suspended, and transport routes came to a halt as the alert raised fears linked to recent drone incursions over NATO member states. The origin of the drone remains unconfirmed, though it follows incidents involving NATO jets and potential Ukrainian drones in neighboring countries, amidst persistent tensions with Russia.
Lithuania's president and prime minister were forced to take shelter on Tuesday when a drone alert caused the capital Vilnius to come to a standstill.
President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene were taken to emergency shelters following the air alert, which ordered the city's population to take cover.
Flights were suspended and road and rail travel briefly ground to a halt. The alert has since been lifted. It is not yet clear who was behind the incursion.
The alert came a day after Estonia announced that NATO shot down a drone over its territory, suspected to be a Ukrainian projectile affected by Russian electronic interference.
It was the latest in a series of recent drone incursions over NATO members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
An alert from Lithuania's defence ministry on Wednesday directed citizens: Immediately take shelter in a safe place, take care of your close ones, await new recommendations.
Lithuania's national crisis management centre indicated that the alert was issued in response to a drone in neighbouring Belarus seen flying towards Lithuania. The drone's origin had not been confirmed.
Lithuania's military reported that NATO jets were deployed to shoot down the drone but could not locate it.
The Seimas, Lithuania's parliament, also issued an evacuation order, leading politicians and staff to a basement shelter.
Earlier, Estonian officials confirmed that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone, though no damage was reported from that incident.
Ukraine responded by accusing Moscow of intentionally redirecting Ukrainian drones launched at legitimate military targets inside Russia, extending apologies to Estonia and the Baltic states for any unintended incidents.
This situation unfolds against a backdrop of heightened military activity, including drone and missile attacks from Ukraine targeting facilities in Russia, and ongoing accusations of using Baltic airspace in its operations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's military is reportedly closely monitoring drone activities in the Baltic region, formulating a response to these security challenges.
