Lithuania issues air raid alert and suspends airport operations due to suspected drone activity

On Wednesday, Lithuanian authorities issued an emergency air raid warning to residents in the capital, Vilnius, urging them to seek shelter. The National Crisis Management Centre reported that the alert was triggered by an unidentified drone spotted in neighboring Belarus flying toward Lithuanian territory. Defense officials noted that the object initially headed toward Lentvaris before changing course, and its origin remains unconfirmed. As a precautionary measure, operations at Vilnius airport were temporarily suspended. President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte were moved to secure shelters during the incident. NATO military aircraft were deployed to track and monitor the object until the alert was officially lifted. This incident follows a similar report from Estonia on Tuesday, where a NATO fighter jet reportedly shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone. These events underscore increasing concerns regarding regional airspace security amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.