Lithuania scrambles NATO jets over suspected drone, object turns out to be weather balloon
On Saturday, June 13, Lithuanian authorities alerted Vilnius residents about a possible drone incursion, but later said the alert was caused by a meteorological aerostat that entered from Belarus.
On the morning of June 13, a brief alert was declared in the Vilnius district, and NATO fighter jets were scrambled. Shortly after, the alert was lifted – the suspicious object was identified as a meteorological aerostat that entered Lithuanian territory from the Belarusian side.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center, stated that the object was most likely a weather balloon, not a drone, so residents were notified that the air threat had been removed. However, he recommended staying vigilant as similar objects may reappear.
NATO fighters have recently shot down drones over the Baltic states twice – once over Estonia and once over Latvia. EU leaders are set to discuss strengthening the Eastern flank on June 19 in response to drone incursions.
