Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace on Thursday, the country’s military confirmed. The planes stayed for about 18 seconds before leaving. Officials identified the aircraft as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling tanker, both believed to be on a refuelling training mission. They crossed from Russia’s Kaliningrad region into NATO member Lithuania around 1600 CET.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled and began patrolling the area. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda denounced the incursion on X, calling it a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.”
“I strongly condemn the violation of Lithuanian airspace by Russian military aircraft from the Kaliningrad region,” Nausėda said in a video message. “We must respond to this.” Moscow has not commented.
NATO on High Alert After Repeated Incidents
NATO and the European Union have heightened their vigilance following several suspected Russian airspace violations in recent weeks. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would defend against any further airspace breaches after Russian drones were shot down over Poland and Estonia reported a fighter jet intrusion.
The 10 September incident over Poland marked the first direct encounter between NATO and Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Estonia later accused three Russian MiG-31 jets of entering its airspace for 12 minutes without authorization, a claim the Kremlin denied.
NATO officials expressed concern over escalating Russian aggression. The alliance stated that it would use every lawful measure, military and non-military, to defend its members and deter future threats.
European Leaders React to Drone Sightings
Following the Polish airspace violation, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the Eastern Sentry program to deter Russian incursions and reinforce solidarity with Poland. “We see drones violating our airspace. Intentional or not, it’s unacceptable,” Rutte said. “Allies stand fully with Poland. We must confront aggression and defend every NATO member.”
On 23 September, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Russian involvement could not be dismissed after Copenhagen Airport closed for several hours due to drone sightings. “It shows the times we live in and what we must prepare to handle,” she stated. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the accusations “unfounded.”
A day earlier, Oslo Airport in Norway shut down for three hours after reports of drone activity. The Norwegian government said Russia violated its airspace three times in 2025 but could not confirm whether the latest incident was deliberate or caused by navigation errors. “Regardless of the cause, this cannot be tolerated,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre declared.
