Lithuania Mistakes Birds for Drone, Closes Vilnius Airport and Summons NATO Jet
Incident Overview and Response
By Andrius Sytas
Initial Sighting and Airport Closure
VILNIUS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Lithuania said that a perceived drone sighting in its airspace earlier on Sunday that prompted authorities to close Vilnius airport and NATO to summon at least one fighter jet, turned out to be a flock of birds.
Airport Reopening and Investigation
The air alert was lifted and the airport reopened within 38 minutes, after the NATO jet made a visual identification, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre said.
Radar Confusion Explained
"On initial radar readings, marks left by birds and drones can be similar," it added in a statement.
NATO Response and Broader Context
A jet had been summoned from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, the centre said, where the Italian air force is currently based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.
Regional Security Concerns
Military drones straying into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into NATO's northern borders with Russia.
Impact on Local Events
The Vilnius marathon, which was taking place in the capital, was not interrupted, the organisers told Reuters.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas; editing by Philippa Fletcher, Christina Fincher and Susan Fenton)
