A yellow-level air threat alert issued for Vilnius county on Saturday morning has been lifted after the object that triggered it was identified as a weather balloon that had drifted into Lithuanian airspace from the direction of Belarus.
Nato air policing fighters were scrambled during the alert, which was stood down shortly before 11am. The status has returned to white, meaning residents may return to normal activity.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the radar contact, which had displayed characteristics consistent with an unmanned aerial vehicle, turned out to be a meteorological balloon that had drifted into Lithuanian airspace.
The head of the National Crisis Management Centre, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, said the object's initial radar signature was consistent with a drone, prompting the activation of forces that would have been able to neutralise it if necessary. Only one object was being tracked throughout.
"The object has been identified as most likely a meteorological balloon rather than a drone, and residents have been notified that the air threat has been lifted," he told LRT television. "Nevertheless, we recommend remaining vigilant, as similar objects may appear again."
Vitkauskas advised residents to keep their mobile phones nearby with the sound on, so they would receive any future alerts promptly.
"If there were a new incident, people would have time to think about where the nearest shelter is, whether that is in their home or a basement somewhere," he said. "Vigilance is needed, but at present we do not see any incident approaching."
The alert was brief. Residents in the Vilnius region received mobile phone notifications urging them to remain calm before the all-clear was issued shortly afterwards, returning the status to white.
Air threat alert levels explained
Lithuania operates a three-tier air threat warning system:
What is a shelter?
A shelter provides short-term protection, up to several hours, during an air threat, guarding against direct and indirect fire during military aggression, including strikes from aircraft, missiles and artillery, as well as fragments, debris, blast waves and stray projectiles.
Suitable shelter locations include underground car parks, garages and basements in residential and public buildings, pedestrian underpasses and tunnels, changing rooms, shower facilities and basement areas in workplaces and sports facilities, and warehouses built from non-combustible materials.
On hearing the civil defence air threat siren, residents are advised to make their way as quickly as possible to the nearest designated shelter, marked with an official sign, or to find cover in a ditch, trench, underground walkway, tunnel or basement.
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