Nato fighter jets were scrambled in Lithuania on Sunday morning after an unrecognised flying object was sighted, prompting a red air warning and the closure of an airport serving the city of Kaunas. Residents living near the hub were told to shelter as air police fighters were summoned.
Object entered from Poland
The object is believed to have entered from Poland, where armed forces said they are verifying a possible violation of airspace. Lithuanian authorities said possible drone debris was being examined near the northern village of Juodzionys after the mysterious object vanished off radar.
Residents in northern and central parts of the country were told to remain in shelters for at least an hour this morning. Armed forces confirmed the unmanned object may not have been shot down and possibly detonated on its own.
Investigation underway
‘Lithuanian police officers are currently working at the scene, conducting initial investigation and evidence collection activities’, a statement said. ‘The circumstances of the incident, including the possible origin of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the possible cause of the explosion, are still under investigation.’
A yellow air warning was also temporarily issued after a ‘possible threat’ was detected in some neighbouring regions in Latvia. Ukrainian drones have also entered Nato airspace in Baltic countries, with Kyiv attributing the incursions to Russian signal jamming causing the objects to veer off course. The developments have dialled up concerns that the war is spilling out into neighbouring countries.
Related incidents
It comes as RAF drones encountered near misses with suspected drones flying 40 times the legal height limit above the North Sea. Multiple different investigations have been launched into the incidents, reported just days apart, amid concerns the equipment is being used for spying purposes.
One person was killed and several were injured following a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil terminal in St Petersburg this morning, the city’s mayor said. E-commerce firm Ozon said its logistics hub and data centre in the region had been attacked, although its services remained unaffected.
