Lithuania’s military reported that two Russian aircraft entered its airspace for 18 seconds on Thursday. The planes, identified as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling tanker, crossed from Russia’s Kaliningrad region at around 1600 CET. Officials believe the aircraft were conducting refueling training when they violated Lithuanian airspace.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the region. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the intrusion, calling it a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity” in a post on X. He demanded a firm response, declaring, “We have to react to this.” Moscow has not yet commented on the incident.
NATO Warns Moscow After Series of Violations
Both NATO and the European Union remain on high alert after multiple suspected Russian airspace violations in recent weeks. NATO warned Moscow at the end of September that it would use all necessary means to defend its airspace following the downing of Russian drones over Poland and Estonia’s report of intrusions by Russian fighter jets.
The 10 September drone incident in Poland marked the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. Estonia later accused three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets of entering its airspace for 12 minutes without authorization, a claim the Kremlin denied.
European leaders voiced concern over the growing number of incidents, questioning NATO’s readiness for increased Russian aggression. The alliance reiterated that it would use every military and non-military tool, in accordance with international law, to defend member states from any threat.
Drone Sightings Trigger Security Alerts in Denmark and Norway
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded to the Polish incident by launching the Eastern Sentry program to deter further Russian incursions and strengthen support for Poland. Rutte stressed that drone violations, intentional or not, remain unacceptable and that all allies stand in full solidarity with Poland.
On 23 September, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be ruled out after Copenhagen airport closed for several hours due to drone sightings. She warned that the situation reflects modern security challenges societies must confront. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claims as “unfounded.”
The day before, Oslo airport in Norway also shut down for three hours following similar reports. Norway’s government said Russia violated its airspace three times in 2025, though officials remain unsure whether the latest breach was intentional or caused by navigation errors. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre condemned the incident, saying, “Regardless of the cause, this is not acceptable.”
