Lithuania issues air alert in Vilnius after suspected drone sighting

Lithuania issued an air alert across its capital Vilnius and several eastern border regions on Wednesday after military radar detected a suspected drone near the frontier, prompting authorities to activate NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission and urge residents to seek immediate shelter.

NATO mission activated after radar detection

The Lithuanian military said it scrambled NATO air defense assets after picking up the unidentified object on radar early Wednesday morning. Authorities initially issued warnings for the Ignalina, Utena, Zarasai and Svencionys districts before extending the alert to include Vilnius and surrounding municipalities — a precautionary measure the military described as standard procedure similar to recent incidents in neighboring Latvia and Estonia.

Government evacuations and transport disruption

Vilnius airport suspended all operations at approximately 10 am local time as the alert took effect, while train services across the country faced temporary disruptions with passengers evacuated to safe areas at stations. Presidential aide Frederikas Jansonas said President Gitanas Nauseda and his staff were escorted to emergency shelters, adding that lawmakers and parliamentary staff were also moved to underground facilities and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene was taken to a secure location.

Drone confirmed over Vilnius district

National Crisis Management Centre head Vilmantas Vitkauskas later confirmed that "one drone was sighted over Vilnius district," though the object's origin and intent remained unclear. The armed forces had earlier issued urgent instructions to residents — "Air alert! Immediately head to a shelter or a safe space" — as the situation developed.