Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace for 18 seconds on Thursday, according to Lithuania’s military. The aircraft, identified as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling plane, reportedly crossed the border from Russia’s Kaliningrad region during a refuelling training exercise at around 1600 CET.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the area. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda denounced the act as a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity” in a post on X.
In a video statement, Nausėda condemned the violation and insisted that Lithuania must respond firmly. Moscow has not issued a statement regarding the incursion.
NATO Increases Readiness After Repeated Violations
NATO and the European Union remain on high alert after several recent airspace intrusions believed to involve Russian aircraft. NATO warned Moscow in late September that it would use all necessary means to defend its airspace following Russian drone incidents over Poland and fighter jet intrusions over Estonia.
The 10 September incident in Poland marked the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Estonia reported that three Russian MiG-31 jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes without authorization, a claim the Kremlin has denied.
European leaders expressed concern over the increasing number of violations, questioning NATO’s readiness against Russian provocations. NATO released a statement declaring that it would employ every lawful measure to defend and deter threats from any direction.
Drone Sightings Disrupt Northern European Airports
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Eastern Sentry program after the Polish airspace violation to deter further Russian incursions and reinforce alliance solidarity. Rutte said drone intrusions into allied airspace are unacceptable and affirmed full support for Poland, emphasizing the need to counter aggression collectively.
In Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be ruled out after Copenhagen airport closed for several hours on 23 September due to drone sightings. She warned that such incidents reflect the growing security challenges facing Europe.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations as baseless. The same week, Oslo airport in Norway shut down for three hours following similar drone reports. Norway’s government stated that Russia allegedly violated its airspace three times in 2025, though officials remain uncertain whether the latest incident resulted from deliberate actions or navigation errors. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre insisted that any breach of sovereignty remains unacceptable.
