Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda condemned what he called a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.” Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace on Thursday for about 18 seconds, the nation’s military confirmed.
Officials identified the aircraft as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling tanker. They reportedly crossed from Russia’s Kaliningrad region around 1600 CET during a refuelling training mission. Spanish Eurofighter Typhoons from NATO’s Baltic Air Police scrambled immediately and began patrolling the area.
In a video posted on X, Nausėda denounced the violation and demanded action, saying Lithuania must respond firmly. Moscow has not commented on the incident.
NATO Increases Readiness After Repeated Violations
NATO and the European Union remain on high alert following a surge of Russian airspace intrusions in recent weeks. NATO warned Moscow in late September that it would use all means to defend against further breaches. The warning followed the downing of Russian drones over Poland and a separate intrusion into Estonia’s airspace.
The 10 September event in Poland marked the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022. Estonia also reported that three Russian MiG-31 jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes without authorization, an accusation the Kremlin denied.
European leaders expressed growing concern over the incidents, questioning the alliance’s readiness against Russian aggression. NATO stated it would employ every lawful military and non-military measure to defend and deter threats from any direction.
Europe Responds to Drone Sightings and Airspace Threats
After the Polish incident, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Eastern Sentry programme to strengthen deterrence and support Poland. He emphasized the alliance’s unity, saying any airspace violation, intentional or not, remains unacceptable.
On 23 September, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be excluded after Copenhagen airport shut down for hours due to drone sightings. She warned that such incidents show the challenges societies must now face. The Kremlin dismissed the accusations as “unfounded.”
A day earlier, Oslo airport in Norway closed for three hours after drone reports emerged. The Norwegian government said Russia had violated its airspace three times in 2025, though it remains unclear if the latest event was intentional or caused by navigation errors. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre called the violations unacceptable regardless of the reason.
