Lithuania recorded no airspace violations overnight after neighbouring Latvia issued an air alert over possible drone activity near its border, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said.
“In the Latvian-Belarusian border region, messages were sent to Latvian residents regarding a potential air threat and the possible entry of drones from Russia,” Kaunas told reporters Saturday.
He said NATO fighter jets stationed at Šiauliai Air Base in northern Lithuania were scrambled overnight to conduct patrol missions following the alert.
“Consequently, NATO fighter jets scrambled from Lithuania’s Šiauliai air base to conduct a night patrol mission,” the minister said.
Kaunas said the security situation in Lithuania remained calm but stressed that countries on NATO’s eastern flank remain on high alert because of risks linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“NATO’s eastern flank faces daily aerial threats, making it essential to strengthen regional defence,” he said.
The minister noted that Lithuania is continuing to expand its air defence capabilities, including the procurement of additional NASAMS systems and Merops interceptors.
According to Kaunas, one NASAMS battery is already operational in Lithuania, a second is currently being integrated and a third is planned by 2028.
The Defence Ministry is also working on a broader anti-drone defence concept. Kaunas said one team is developing a national system while another is cooperating with Ukrainian specialists.
Lithuania has allocated 4.8 billion euros for defence this year, equivalent to 5.38% of its GDP.
Latvian authorities issued warnings to residents overnight about a potential aerial threat, prompting NATO Baltic Air Policing aircraft to patrol the area. Similar alerts have become more frequent in eastern Latvia in recent months.
On Thursday, several drones entered Latvian airspace, with two crashing near Rēzekne and damaging an oil storage facility.
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