An air raid siren sounded in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Wednesday following a drone-related incident, prompting authorities to urge residents to seek shelter as a precaution.
Local media reported that government leaders were taken to shelters.
Airspace over the airport was temporarily closed and train services were suspended before the all-clear was given and the alert for Vilnius lifted after around half an hour.
“This incident is similar to what was experienced in recent days in Latvia and Estonia,” the Lithuanian military said. “Warning the population is a standard preventive measure.”
According to Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s crisis management centre, a drone had been sighted over the Vilnius area. Residents of the capital received an urgent warning because of its flight path.
The object later disappeared from radar and its whereabouts are unclear, Vitkauskas said.
NATO fighter jets were scrambled but were unable to locate it, the military said.
Lithuania, a member of the European Union and NATO, borders both Russia and Belarus and has experienced several drone-related incidents since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Vilnius lies around 30 kilometres from Belarus.
According to the presidential office, the warning system functioned as intended. An adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda cautioned that similar incidents could recur as long as Russia’s war in Ukraine continued.
In neighbouring Latvia as well, residents in several regions near the Russian border were issued warnings.
Lithuanian parliament speaker Juozas Olekas, who sought shelter together with lawmakers and parliamentary staff, praised the calm reaction of the public.
