Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace for 18 seconds on Thursday, the Lithuanian military reported. The planes, identified as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling tanker, crossed the border from Kaliningrad around 1600 CET during a suspected refuelling exercise.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoons from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the area. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda posted on X, calling the incident a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.” He strongly condemned the intrusion and declared that Lithuania must respond firmly. Moscow has not yet commented on the violation.
NATO Warns Moscow After Growing Tensions
NATO and the European Union remain on high alert after several recent airspace violations believed to involve Russian aircraft. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow it would use all necessary measures to prevent further incursions, following the downing of Russian drones over Poland and Estonia’s report of an airspace breach.
The 10 September incident in Poland marked the first direct NATO-Russia confrontation since the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Estonia said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes, a claim the Kremlin denied. European leaders voiced alarm, questioning NATO’s readiness to counter rising Russian aggression.
NATO reiterated that it would use every military and non-military tool under international law to defend its members. After the Polish violation, Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Eastern Sentry programme to deter further Russian incursions and demonstrate unity with Poland.
Drone Sightings Raise Security Concerns Across Europe
NATO’s secretary general stressed that drone intrusions are unacceptable, whether intentional or accidental, and reaffirmed allies’ solidarity with Poland. Denmark and Norway also faced similar concerns in September.
On 23 September, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be excluded after drones forced Copenhagen Airport to shut down for several hours. She warned that societies must stay prepared for such threats. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations as “unfounded.”
The day before, Norway’s Oslo Airport closed for three hours due to suspected drone activity. The Norwegian government stated that Russia allegedly violated its airspace three times in 2025. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said it remains unclear whether Monday’s incident was intentional or caused by navigation errors but emphasized that such actions are “not acceptable.”
