Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace on Thursday, staying for around 18 seconds, the Lithuanian military reported. Officials identified the aircraft as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling plane. They appeared to conduct a refueling exercise when they crossed into NATO territory from Russia’s Kaliningrad region at about 1600 CET.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately took off and began patrolling the area. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda posted on X, condemning the intrusion as a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.” He stated in a video message, “I strongly condemn the violation of Lithuanian airspace by Russian aircraft from the Kaliningrad region. We must respond decisively.”
Moscow has not issued a statement on the incident.
NATO Condemns Repeated Airspace Violations
NATO and the European Union remain on high alert after several suspected Russian airspace violations in recent weeks. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would use all available means to prevent further breaches following the downing of Russian drones over Poland and Estonia’s report of Russian jets entering its airspace.
Poland recorded the first direct NATO-Russia confrontation since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine when Russian drones crossed into its territory on 10 September. Estonia later reported three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entering its airspace for 12 minutes without permission. The Kremlin denied the allegations.
European leaders expressed alarm, questioning NATO’s readiness to counter escalating Russian aggression. NATO reiterated its stance, saying, “Russia should be in no doubt: the Alliance will use all necessary military and non-military tools to defend against any threat.”
European Nations Tighten Security After Drone Sightings
Following the breach in Poland, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Eastern Sentry program to deter Russian incursions and reinforce solidarity with Poland. Rutte stated, “We see drones violating our airspace. Intentional or not, it is unacceptable. Allies fully support Poland, and we must defend every member of the Alliance.”
On 23 September, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be dismissed after drones forced Copenhagen Airport to shut down for several hours. “It shows what kind of times we live in and what challenges we must face,” she said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations as “unfounded.” The day before, Oslo Airport in Norway closed for three hours after drone sightings. The Norwegian government reported three Russian airspace violations in 2025 but said it remains unclear if the latest incident was deliberate or caused by navigation errors.
“Regardless of the reason, this behavior is unacceptable,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said.
