# Lithuanian airspace security incidents

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/lithuanian-airspace-security-incidents
> Updated: 2026-09-13T09:08:00.000Z. Sources: 132. Developments: 2.

Lithuanian authorities have responded to multiple incidents involving unidentified objects in national airspace.

On September 13, 2026, NATO fighter jets intercepted and destroyed an unidentified drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, believed to have originated from the direction of Belarus. The interception took place near the village of Pratkūnai in Kaunas County. Italian Air Force Typhoon fighters, operating from Šiauliai Air Base as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, carried out the operation. The incident triggered emergency air alerts across Vilnius and surrounding districts, including Trakai and Elektrėnai, and caused the temporary closure of Vilnius Airport for approximately 40 minutes. President Gitanas Nausėda praised the swift response of allied forces, citing the necessity of such readiness amid intensifying regional security risks. In response to the incident, Poland also activated its air defenses preventively.

This follows a separate event near Varėna where an unidentified object, likely originating from Belarus, crossed Lithuanian airspace early on a Sunday morning. The object entered the country at 4:05 a.m. and exited into the Russian Kaliningrad region approximately 20 minutes later. Authorities stated there was no direct threat to citizens or infrastructure, so no air raid warnings were issued and NATO jets were not scrambled. However, the incident led to political scrutiny, with Minister R. Kaunas requesting a briefing to understand why the object was not intercepted. National Crisis Management Center head Vilmantas Vitkauskas explained that the decision to remain passive was based on the object’s trajectory and the assessment that it posed no immediate danger.

These events occur amid heightened regional tensions and frequent reports of drone incursions in Baltic airspace linked to the conflict in Ukraine.

## Claims

- The detected object was identified as a flock of birds rather than a drone. (disputed by 12 sources)
- NATO fighter jets intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace. (disputed by 12 sources)
- Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed on Sunday due to a suspected drone in Lithuanian airspace. (corroborated by 15 sources)
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda thanked NATO forces for their rapid response to the drone incident. (corroborated by 15 sources)
- The drone was shot down near Pratkūnai village in Kaunas County. (corroborated by 11 sources)
- A NATO fighter jet was mobilized from the Siauliai airbase to perform a visual identification. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- A NATO fighter jet downed a drone in Lithuanian airspace shortly after midnight. (corroborated by 10 sources)
- An alert was previously issued in Vilnius and its surrounding areas. (corroborated by 10 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-13: Lithuania detects unidentified object crossing airspace near Varėna

Lithuanian radar detected an unidentified object crossing airspace near Varėna early Sunday, moving from Belarus toward Kaliningrad. Officials are reviewing why no air raid alerts or interceptions occurred.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lithuania-detects-unidentified-object-crossing-airspace-near-varna

### 2026-09-13: NATO fighter jets shoot down drone in Lithuania

NATO fighter jets, including Italian Eurofighters, shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus, triggering emergency alerts and a brief closure of Vilnius International Airport.

129 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/drone-crashes-in-suceava-county-after-crossing-moldovan-airspace

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Cite as: Lithuanian airspace security incidents. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/lithuanian-airspace-security-incidents