Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuania’s airspace on Thursday for 18 seconds, the Lithuanian military reported. The planes, identified as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling tanker, crossed from Russia’s Kaliningrad region around 1600 CET during a refueling exercise.
NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets to patrol the area. In a post on X, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the incident as a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.”
Nausėda said in a video statement that he “strongly condemns” Russia’s violation of Lithuanian airspace and insisted, “We have to react to this.” Moscow has not yet commented on the event.
NATO Warns Russia After Multiple Violations
NATO and the European Union remain on high alert after a series of Russian airspace violations in recent weeks. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would use all available means to prevent further breaches after Russian drones were shot down over Poland and Estonia reported another intrusion.
On 10 September, Russian drones entered Polish airspace, marking the first direct confrontation between NATO and Russia since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Days later, Estonia reported that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets flew over its territory for 12 minutes without authorization, an accusation the Kremlin denied.
NATO leaders across Europe expressed alarm over these incursions, emphasizing the need to strengthen defense and deterrence measures. The alliance reaffirmed its commitment to protect all member states using every military and non-military tool allowed under international law.
Rising Tensions Across Northern Europe
After the Polish airspace violation, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Eastern Sentry program to deter further Russian provocations and show unity with Poland. Rutte said NATO will “counter aggression and defend every member of the Alliance,” calling recent drone intrusions unacceptable.
On 23 September, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be ruled out after drones forced Copenhagen Airport to close for several hours. She warned that such incidents reflect the tense era Europe faces. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claims as “unfounded.”
A day earlier, Norway’s Oslo Airport shut down for three hours after reports of drone sightings. The Norwegian government said Russia allegedly violated its airspace three times in 2025, though it remains unclear whether the latest incident resulted from deliberate action or navigational error.
“Regardless of the cause, this is not acceptable,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre declared.
