Lithuania reported that an alleged drone sighting in its airspace on Sunday led to the closure of Vilnius airport and a NATO fighter jet being dispatched, but it was later determined to be a flock of birds.
The air alert was lifted, and the airport reopened just 38 minutes later, following a visual confirmation by the NATO aircraft, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre.
“Initial radar data can sometimes show similar patterns for birds and drones,” the statement noted.
A jet was dispatched from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian air force is currently stationed as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission, the centre reported.
Concerns are rising about military drones entering the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, amid fears the conflict in Ukraine could affect NATO’s northern borders with Russia.
The Vilnius marathon continued without interruption, as confirmed by the event organizers to Reuters.
In August, German authorities revealed that an employee at Leipzig/Halle Airport discovered a drone equipped with an unidentified explosive device in the security zone of the cargo operations area.
NATO is actively monitoring airspace threats over eastern Europe as unusual drone sightings have been causing airport closures. For The National, CBC’s Briar Stewart delves into the Operation Eastern Sentry mission and its surveillance efforts in the skies.
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