Temporary air alert issued in Vilnius county; cause: weather balloon from Belarus
On Saturday morning, a temporary air alert was issued in Vilnius county and lifted before 11 a.m. The alert was triggered by radar detection of a drone-like object, later confirmed as a weather balloon entering Lithuanian airspace from Belarus.
On Saturday, June 13, 2026, the Vilnius county in Lithuania experienced a brief air alert. The warning was in effect for only a few hours and was lifted shortly before 11 a.m.
The Lithuanian Air Force stated that a yellow-level alert was issued after radar detected an object with characteristics typical of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Initially, the nature of the object crossing the country's airspace was unclear.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas later confirmed that the object was actually a meteorological balloon, or weather sonde, which had entered from Belarusian territory. Such balloons are used for weather observations and do not pose a military threat.
The issuance of the alert nevertheless highlights the region's heightened vigilance regarding potential airspace violations amid the geopolitical situation.
