Lithuania's leaders moved to safety as drone detected near border
Lithuania's president and prime minister were taken to safe locations Wednesday after a suspected drone was detected near the Belarus border.
Residents of Vilnius were told to take shelter, and airspace over Vilnius Airport was closed for about an hour.
The alert came after military reports of drone activity in Belarus, though no drones were seen over Lithuania.
This marks the first major alert in a NATO capital since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Lithuanian officials accuse Russia of redirecting Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace to sow chaos and distract from Ukraine's military successes.
Baltics on alert after incursions
- NATO fighter jets chase drone as European airport shuts amid air raid alert Mirror —
- Residents of Lithuania's capital told to shelter as drone alarm underlines NATO's eastern jitters The Independent —
- Nato jets scrambled after drone flies near Lithuanian capital as residents told to ‘immediately take shelter’ The Independent —
- “Seek shelter now”: Drone alert near Belarus border forces Vilnius airport closure Euronews —
- Lithuanian leaders and residents take shelter over drone alert The Argus —