Lithuania has confirmed that what was initially believed to be a drone sighting in its airspace on Sunday, causing the closure of Vilnius airport and the dispatch of a NATO fighter jet, was actually a flock of birds. The National Crisis Management Centre of Lithuania stated that the airport was reopened after 38 minutes when the NATO jet visually identified the situation. The Centre explained that initial radar readings can sometimes mistake bird movements for drones.
A fighter jet was called from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian air force is stationed as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission. Concerns have been raised about military drones entering the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, indicating potential spillover from the conflict in Ukraine towards NATO’s northern borders with Russia.
Despite the incident, the Vilnius marathon, happening in the capital at the time, continued without interruption as confirmed by the organizers. In a separate incident in August, an employee at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany discovered a drone carrying an unidentified explosive device in the cargo operations area.
NATO remains vigilant about airspace threats over eastern Europe, continually monitoring suspicious drone activities that could lead to airport disruptions. The Operation Eastern Sentry mission is actively engaged in identifying and addressing potential threats in the region.