The incident triggered red air raid warnings across central and northern Lithuania and led to the closure of Kaunas international airport until 8:00 AM. President Gitanas Nauseda stated the event showed Russia's war was spilling over onto the eastern flank of NATO and the EU. NATO fighter jets from Šiauliai Air Base were scrambled to intercept the unidentified object, which eventually exploded or crashed in the Biržai district.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Ukraine Admits Its Drones Entered Lithuanian Airspace
War2 days ago
Kyiv has apologized for an airspace violation in the Baltic region that occurred on Sunday morning, with the Ukrainian foreign ministry stating its drones were likely diverted by Russian electronic warfare. Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi admitted the aircraft were part of an operation against military targets in Russia and expressed regret for the disruption and risks caused when they entered Lithuanian airspace. Similar drone alerts were reported simultaneously across Estonia and Latvia.
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