Two Russian military aircraft entered NATO airspace in Lithuania on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of violations this year. The aircraft, a Su-30 fighter and an Il-78 refuelling tanker, flew nearly half a mile (700 metres) into Lithuanian territory for 18 seconds before departing.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene condemned the incursion, branding Russia a 'terrorist state' on Facebook. She stated: 'This incident once again shows that Russia is behaving like a terrorist state, disregarding international law and the security of neighbouring countries.' Russia has denied the violation, claiming the Su-30 jets did not enter other nations' airspace.
NATO forces responded swiftly, deploying Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the Baltic Air Police to patrol the area. A NATO official said: 'This is another demonstration of NATO’s readiness to respond to any developments and ability to ensure the safety of the Alliance’s airspace.'
The incident follows a pattern of Russian airspace violations in 2025. In September, over 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, prompting NATO to invoke Article 4 for consultations. Earlier, three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, which Estonia's foreign minister described as 'unprecedentedly brazen'.
