Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace on Thursday for about 18 seconds, according to the country’s military. The aircraft, identified as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling plane, reportedly crossed from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad around 1600 CET. Officials said both planes appeared to be on a refuelling training mission.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the area. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the incursion on X, calling it a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.”
“I strongly denounce the violation of Lithuanian airspace by Russian aircraft from the Kaliningrad region,” Nausėda said in a video message. “We must respond to this act.” Moscow has not yet issued a statement.
NATO on Alert Over Repeated Violations
Both NATO and the European Union remain on heightened alert after a surge in suspected Russian airspace breaches across Europe. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would use all measures to prevent future violations, following drone incidents in Poland and fighter jet intrusions over Estonia.
The 10 September episode in Poland marked the first direct confrontation between NATO and Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Estonia later reported that three Russian MiG-31 jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes without authorization, a claim the Kremlin denied.
European leaders expressed alarm over these incidents, raising concerns about the alliance’s readiness to counter Russian aggression. NATO reiterated that it would employ all necessary military and non-military tools to defend its members.
Europe Responds to Rising Tensions
After the Polish airspace violation, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte introduced the Eastern Sentry program to deter further Russian incursions and strengthen unity among allies. “We see drones entering our airspace. Intentional or not, it is unacceptable,” Rutte said. “The allies fully support Poland. We must counter aggression and defend every member of the Alliance.”
On 23 September, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be ruled out after Copenhagen airport closed for several hours due to drone sightings. “These events show what we as a society must be ready to face,” Frederiksen said. The Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations as “unfounded.”
A day earlier, Oslo airport in Norway shut down for three hours following similar drone reports. Norway’s government claimed Russia violated its airspace three times in 2025, though officials could not confirm whether the latest incident was intentional or a navigation error. “Regardless of the reason, this remains unacceptable,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated.
