Lithuania issues alert over suspected drone incursion; turns out to be weather balloon
On Saturday, June 13, Lithuania briefly declared an alert in the Vilnius region, scrambling NATO fighter jets amid suspicions of a drone incursion from Belarus. The object was later identified as a meteorological balloon.
On Saturday, June 13, Lithuanian authorities warned residents of Vilnius about a possible drone intrusion into the country's airspace. The alert was declared for a short period, and NATO fighter jets were scrambled to respond.
Shortly after, the alert was lifted as it was determined that the suspicious object was a meteorological balloon that had entered Lithuanian territory from the Belarusian side. "The object was identified as most likely a weather balloon, not a drone, so residents were sent a notification that the air threat had been removed. However, vigilance is recommended as similar objects may reappear," said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center.
This incident comes as EU leaders are set to discuss strengthening the Eastern flank on June 19 in response to drone incursions. NATO fighters have recently shot down drones over the Baltic states twice—once over Estonia and once over Latvia.
