Suspected Drone Crossing into Vilnius Triggers Air Raid Alert in Lithuania

(CNA reporter Yu Yao-ju, Vilnius, 20th) Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, issued an air raid alert this morning due to a suspected drone incursion. The military activated NATO's air policing mechanism in response, but no drone target was found. The alert was lifted before 11 AM local time, and the military continues to search for the drone. Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported that the Lithuanian military stated that drone activity was detected in several areas near the eastern border this morning. The alert was subsequently expanded to Vilnius and its surrounding areas, urging the public to immediately proceed to shelters or safe spaces. The National Crisis Management Centre indicated that the drone crossed the border around 9:40 AM and moved towards the capital, leading to the expansion of the alert zone. According to reports, Lithuania received a notification from the Belarusian military in the morning that a drone might enter Lithuanian airspace. Radars of both the Lithuanian and Latvian militaries detected a drone target. NATO jets scrambled from Estonia to perform an interception mission but did not find any hostile aircraft, and the mission was subsequently canceled. The drone disappeared from radar screens around 11 AM. The Lithuanian military stated that it is currently impossible to determine whether the drone has landed, left the airspace, or crashed, and the search operation is ongoing. The military also noted that this incident is similar to recent situations in Latvia and Estonia, and issuing an alert to residents is a standard precautionary measure. According to reports, after the incident, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and government officials were temporarily evacuated to a shelter. The parliament and some transportation systems also suspended operations. Vilnius Airport's airspace was briefly closed, and some flights were diverted to Riga, the capital of Latvia. The Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior stated that this alert also exposed technical and information dissemination problems in the emergency response system, including some citizens not receiving the alert in time or being unable to find shelter space, and that it will be further reviewed and improved. Additionally, according to LRT, Remigijus Bridikis, Director of Lithuania's State Security Department (VSD), pointed out that recent frequent drone incursions into the airspace of the Baltic region indicate that Lithuania's security situation is becoming increasingly tense. According to reports, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service claimed on the 19th that Ukraine is preparing to launch attacks on Russia from the Baltic region and alleged that Ukrainian troops have been deployed in Latvia. Bridikis predicted that Russia's information attacks and pressure campaigns will become more aggressive and adapt to different scenarios.