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Lithuania's Vilnius Airport closed temporarily after a drone alert, prompting NATO Baltic Air Policing jets to scramble. The suspected drone flew between Lithuania and Belarus.
Vilnius Airport in Lithuania was closed this morning after a suspected drone alert, prompting NATO Baltic Air Policing jets to scramble. The suspected drone was reportedly flying between Lithuania and Belarus. The airport reopened earlier on Saturday after being closed for less than an hour.
NATO Response to Drone Alert
NATO Baltic Air Policing jets were scrambled to Vilnius Airport in response to the alert. The quick reaction underscores ongoing tensions in the region. The closure lasted less than an hour before operations resumed.
Lithuania, a NATO member, borders Belarus, a close ally of Russia. The incident follows a pattern of recent drone activity in European airspace. NATO has increased its air policing presence in the Baltics in recent years.
Leipzig Airport Drone Attack
The Vilnius incident comes after Ukrainian planes were targeted with a remotely-controlled flying bomb on a German runway in a suspected Russian attack. A drone packed with Semtex slammed into the wing of a stationary Ukrainian cargo plane at Leipzig/Halle Airport late on August 4 but failed to detonate.
The drone was discovered close to the giant Antonov An-124, which was being used to fly military supplies into Ukraine, by a bus driver. The driver pinned it under his foot and alerted airport security. The device did not explode.
Last month, Germany announced that Russia was responsible for the attack. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the Leipzig airport attack followed the well-established pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe and the assumption was that Germany would be targeted again.
Investigations and Previous Incidents
Investigators also reportedly found DNA on the drone matching a sample recovered after a suspected Russian sabotage attack at the same airport two years ago. That earlier incident involved an incendiary device hidden in a DHL parcel that caught fire at the Leipzig hub in July 2024.
The package had been due to travel on a cargo plane, but the flight was delayed, narrowly avoiding the possibility of the device igniting in mid-air. The discovery of matching DNA suggests a possible link between the two incidents.
Germany has accused Russia of conducting hybrid operations across Europe, including sabotage and disinformation. The Leipzig attack and the Vilnius drone alert are part of a broader pattern of increased drone activity near critical infrastructure.
NATO and European authorities continue to monitor the situation. The swift response in Vilnius highlights the heightened state of alert in the region. Further investigations into the drone alert are ongoing.
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