Nato sends jet to airport ‘drone sighting’ that turned out to be flock of birds

13 Sep 2026 • 8:13 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Nato sends jet to airport ‘drone sighting’ that turned out to be flock of birds

  • Vilnius airport was briefly closed and a NATO fighter jet scrambled following a suspected drone sighting in Lithuanian airspace.
  • The air alert was lifted and the airport reopened within 38 minutes after the object was visually identified as a flock of birds.
  • An Italian air force jet stationed in northern Lithuania conducted the visual check after radar marks initially mirrored those of a drone.
  • Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre confirmed the false alarm, which occurred amid heightened fears of Ukraine war spillover in the Baltic region.
  • The Vilnius marathon, which was taking place in the capital at the time of the alert, continued without interruption.

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