{"id":188493,"date":"2026-05-21T17:58:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:58:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/188493\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T17:59:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T14:59:56","slug":"air-raid-alert-in-lithuania-as-nato-jets-respond-to-another-drone-incursion","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/188493\/","title":{"rendered":"Air raid alert in Lithuania as NATO jets respond to another drone incursion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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May 21,<\/strong> Pozirk<\/strong>.<\/em> Lithuanian authorities have declared a red-level alert in the Utena district and the city of Visaginas in the northern part of the country due to a drone threat, Delfi<\/em> reports, citing the National Crisis Management Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NATO fighter jets are heading toward a possible target, the Lithuanian defense ministry said in a Facebook post. The Lithuanian military is currently monitoring the movement of an \u201cobject exhibiting drone characteristics\u201d moving north of Pabrad\u0117. The origin of the object has not been confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two drones may have violated Lithuania\u2019s airspace, President Gitanas Naus\u0117da said on Facebook, citing preliminary information. NATO fighter jets are prepared to destroy them, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following a similar incident yesterday, Vilnius also requested assistance of NATO fighter jets, issued an air raid alert for Vilnius County and temporarily restricted air traffic over Vilnius International Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minsk warned Vilnius of a possible drone heading toward Lithuania, LRT<\/em> reported, citing Nerijus Stankevi\u010dius, commander of the Lithuanian Army\u2019s Land Forces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moscow accuses the Baltic states of allowing Ukraine to use their \u201cair corridors\u201d to strike targets inside Russia \u2014 a claim denied by Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said on May 19 that the Kremlin was spreading disinformation to intimidate its Baltic neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Moscow considers operations \u201cto the south and north of Belarus \u2013 either against Ukraine\u2019s Chernihiv\u2013Kyiv region or against one of the NATO countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few days later, the Belarusian defense ministry announced the launch of a drill in which Belarus and Russia would rehearse the delivery of nuclear munitions and preparations for their use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February 2022, Russia started a full-scale war against Ukraine in which the Belarusian authorities supported the Kremlin, allowing Russian troops to attack Ukraine from Belarus on multiple occasions and supplying arms to Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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