Lithuania 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, turned out to be a group of birds. Following visual confirmation by the NATO jet, the air alert was lifted, and the airport resumed operations in just 38 minutes, as stated by Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre.
The centre explained that early radar readings can sometimes mistake bird movements for drones. The summoned jet originated from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian air force is stationed for the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission. Concerns have been raised by military drones crossing into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, hinting at potential spillage of the Ukraine conflict into NATO’s northern borders with Russia.
Notably, the Vilnius marathon, happening in the capital at the time, continued without interruption. In a separate incident in August, a drone carrying an unknown explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. This event has drawn attention to the broader issue of airspace security and threats in the region.