On Sunday morning, Lithuania's army and national crisis management center issued a shelter-in-place order for residents in central and northern regions after detecting an unidentified flying object, likely a drone, entering from Poland. Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas indicated the need for a joint investigation with Poland, which is also assessing a possible airspace violation.
During this heightened alert, NATO air police were deployed, and Kaunas airport was temporarily closed. However, the NATO aircraft could not visually identify the object due to poor weather conditions and did not engage it. Lithuanian military personnel are now investigating debris from the object, which reportedly struck a civilian vehicle.
Additionally, Latvia issued a brief air warning in response to the situation. This incident is part of a broader pattern, as Ukrainian drones have previously entered NATO airspace in the Baltic region, raising alarms about the spillover effects of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the implications for regional security