©picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP | Nicolas Landemard / Le Pictorium
Drone alarms went off in Lithuania's capital on Wednesday morning, forcing Vilnius residents as well as President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene to be moved to a shelter.
Wednesday morning, the Lithuanian military called on the population in several regions of the country to seek shelter due to a drone alert. Flights at Vilnius International Airport were temporarily suspended.
Residents of the capital received a message from the military via their smartphones around 10:20 a.m. local time (9:20 a.m. Dutch time). "Air alert! Seek shelter or safe place immediately, take care of your family members and wait for further instructions." This was reported by a correspondent for the AFP news agency.
NATO fighter jets immediately took off to intercept the unmanned aircraft. The drone initially flew toward Lentvaris, a town near Vilnius, but then changed course. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed where exactly the drone came from. However, it's clear that the aircraft flew into Lithuania from the direction of Belarus. Currently, Russia and Belarus are holding joint military exercises.
The drone alert in Vilnius marks a notable evolution as it was the first incident, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the systematic deployment of drones, that leaders and citizens of the capital of the European Union and NATO member state had to be brought to safety.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blames Russia: "Russia and Belarus bear direct responsibility for the drones that endanger the lives and safety of people on our eastern flank," Von der Leyen said on social media. The Commission President labeled " Russia's open threats" against the Baltic states as "completely unacceptable".
The drone alarm did not last long; before noon, Lithuanians were told to leave shelters.
©picture alliance/dpa/MAXPPP | Nicolas Landemard / Le Pictorium