Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuania’s airspace for about 18 seconds on Thursday, the Lithuanian military reported. Officials identified the planes as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling tanker. They appeared to conduct a refuelling exercise when they crossed from Russia’s Kaliningrad region into NATO territory around 1600 CET.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the area. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the intrusion on X, calling it a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.” In a video statement, he said, “I strongly condemn the violation of Lithuanian airspace by Russian aircraft from Kaliningrad. We must respond to this.” Moscow has not issued any comment.
NATO Warns Moscow After Escalating Airspace Intrusions
Both NATO and the European Union remain on high alert after multiple suspected Russian airspace violations in recent weeks. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would defend its territory by all available means. The warning followed Russian drone incidents over Poland and Estonia’s report of unauthorized Russian fighter jet entries.
Poland’s 10 September event marked the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Estonia said three Russian MiG-31 jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes on Friday, a claim the Kremlin denied. European leaders voiced growing concern, questioning NATO’s readiness to confront Russia’s increasing aggression.
NATO reaffirmed its stance, saying, “Russia should have no doubt: NATO and its Allies will use every military and non-military measure to defend and deter threats from all directions.”
European Nations Report Drone Sightings and Airspace Breaches
Following Poland’s incident, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Eastern Sentry program to deter Russian incursions and reinforce solidarity with Poland. He said, “We see drones violating our airspace. Whether intentional or not, it is unacceptable. The allies stand in full solidarity with Poland.”
On 23 September, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be excluded after Copenhagen Airport shut down for several hours due to drone sightings. She warned that such incidents reveal the challenges societies must now prepare to face. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the accusations as “unfounded.”
The next day, Oslo Airport in Norway closed for three hours after suspected drone activity. Norwegian authorities reported that Russia had violated its airspace three times in 2025 but could not confirm whether the latest case was intentional or accidental. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, “Regardless of the cause, this is not acceptable.”
