NATO’s Baltic flank rattled by drone incidents as VDL blames Russia
politico.eu • • general
Key Points:
- Lithuanian authorities issued an air alert after detecting a stray drone near the Belarus border, activating NATO’s Baltic air-policing mission and leading to the closure of Vilnius International Airport and school sheltering orders.
- Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė convened the National Security Commission to address the drone incursions, with heightened security measures taken in response to the threat.
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blamed Russia and Belarus for the drone incidents, emphasizing that threats to one member state endanger the entire Union and pledging a unified European response.
- A group of 15 Baltic MEPs urged von der Leyen and EU diplomat Kaja Kallas to demand an immediate halt to Russia’s provocative drone actions against EU countries.
- The incident is part of a series of recent airspace violations in the Baltics linked to the Russo-Ukrainian war, including drone attacks in Latvia and Estonia, with the origin of the latest drone in Lithuania remaining unclear.