Lithuanian Airport Briefly Closed After Drone Alert
NATO jets were scrambled as a suspected drone, potentially linked to Belarus, triggered a closure of Vilnius Airport.
Vilnius Airport in Lithuania experienced a temporary closure on Saturday morning due to a drone alert, prompting the scrambling of NATO Baltic Air Policing jets. The suspected drone was reportedly flying between Lithuania and Belarus.
The incident occurred in the context of heightened security concerns, following a previous incident where Ukrainian planes were targeted by a remotely-controlled drone at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany. German authorities identified this attack as likely originating from Russia.
In the August 4 incident in Germany, a drone packed with Semtex explosives struck the wing of a stationary Ukrainian cargo plane, the Antonov An-124, which was being used to transport military supplies to Ukraine. The drone failed to detonate and was discovered by a bus driver who alerted airport security. German officials have stated that Russia is believed to be responsible for this attack, noting it aligns with a pattern of Russian hybrid operations in Europe.
Investigators in Germany reportedly found DNA on the drone from the Leipzig incident that matched a sample from a suspected Russian sabotage attack at the same airport in July 2024. In that earlier event, an incendiary device concealed within a DHL parcel ignited at the Leipzig hub, though a flight delay narrowly averted a potential mid-air detonation.
Vilnius Airport reopened after being closed for less than an hour on Saturday.