VILNIUS — Lithuania temporarily shut down the airspace over its capital’s airport and triggered an “air danger” warning on Wednesday morning following radar detection of a suspected drone approaching the country from neighboring Belarus.
The emergency measure caused substantial disruptions at Vilnius International Airport, where aviation authorities applied a “zero rate” (halting all incoming and outgoing flight operations)resulting in severe travel delays.
High Alert in the Capital
The incident began around 10:00 AM local time when Lithuanian military radar detected a signature characteristic of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operating inside Belarusian territory, moving directly toward the Lithuanian border.
In response, the National Crisis Management Centre and the Lithuanian military enacted strict emergency protocols:
- Civilian Alerts: Emergency notifications were broadcast across Vilnius County and surrounding border districts, instructing citizens to remain calm and await further instructions.
- Parliament Evacuation: In the center of Vilnius, an automated intercom message inside the Seimas (Parliament) building instructed all personnel to move immediately to the nearest shelters due to a “risk of air attack.”
- Regional Protocols: In border regions like the Ignalina district, safety protocols were triggered, with school children being relocated to designated shelters as a precautionary measure.
Lithuanian police and military officials confirmed that while radar indicated a drone entering the country’s airspace, no visual confirmation was made by intercepting units.
Broader Regional Conflict
The scare in Vilnius comes amid hyper-escalated airspace anxiety across northeastern Europe. Just 24 hours prior, on Tuesday, a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia.
Airport authorities at Vilnius apologized to passengers for the sudden delays but emphasized that passenger and aircraft safety remains the non-negotiable priority. Operations were eventually cleared to resume once the National Crisis Management Centre confirmed the immediate trajectory risk had passed.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence releases further radar tracking data.
UPDATE 10:12 CEST
A Ryanair flight FR543 from London has landed at VNO.
UPDATE 10:13 CEST
We have confirmation traffic is resuming.
