Lithuania declares and then lifts air alert over possible drone sighting
Lithuanian authorities briefly issued a yellow air alert on Sunday over a possible drone in the Vilnius area before declaring the situation resolved. Flights at Vilnius Airport were temporarily halted.
Lithuania's Armed Forces announced on Sunday afternoon that the air alert had ended, switching to a white code and telling people they could leave shelters and other safe places.
Earlier that day, at around 13:00 local time, authorities had declared a yellow air alert covering Vilnius and the surrounding region, as well as the Trakai and Elektrėnai areas, following a possible drone sighting. Flights at Vilnius Airport were temporarily suspended while the alert was in effect.
Officials explained that a yellow-level alert does not itself indicate immediate danger, but residents were advised to identify their nearest shelter in case the threat level rose to a red code. That escalation did not occur, and the all-clear was announced later the same day.
The episode adds to a series of recent unclear airspace incidents involving drones in the Baltic states, prompting authorities to respond cautiously and briefly restrict air traffic while assessing the situation.
