For the first time since the start of the Ukrainian crisis, Lithuania issued a nationwide air raid alert on Wednesday, May 20, due to an aerial threat detected near its borders. Authorities in the Baltic nation announced that radar systems had tracked a target with the characteristics of a UAV (drone), triggering an immediate mobilization of national security mechanisms. According to Lithuanian media, the country's political and state leadership, including President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, and Speaker of Parliament Juozas Olekas, were evacuated to secure bomb shelters. The alarm sounded at 10:20 a.m. local time (07:20 GMT) and was lifted 40 minutes later.
"Air raid alert... Go immediately to a shelter or a safe place, take care of your family members, and wait for further instructions," read the emergency message sent to citizens' mobile phones. Offices and apartment buildings were evacuated, with citizens seeking refuge in basements or designated bunkers. An air raid alert was issued for the regions of Ignalina, Utena, Švenčionys, and Zarasai, as well as the capital, Vilnius. The airport in the Lithuanian capital was temporarily closed, while public transportation operations were suspended across the city. Meanwhile, the NATO Air Policing mission was activated to address the aerial threat: "NATO's air surveillance mission has been activated," the military clarified, referring to the Romanian F-16 fighter jets stationed in Lithuania—the same aircraft that shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonian skies just yesterday, May 20.
One day after Estonia
This incident comes one day after the first shootdown of a Ukrainian drone in Estonia. According to Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, the UAV was intercepted by a Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon from the "Carpathian Vipers" squadron over Lake Võrtsjärv, near the city of Tartu, approximately 80 kilometers from the Russian border. The wreckage of the drone was located in the rural municipality of Põltsamaa, while Kyiv acknowledged that the aircraft belonged to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. At the same time, Estonian diplomacy politically attributed the responsibility to Moscow. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that incidents involving Ukrainian drones in the airspace of Baltic countries are "a direct result of the conflict and Russia's provocations."
NATO statement on the downing of a Ukrainian drone by Romanian F-16s
Subsequently, the North Atlantic Alliance confirmed that Romanian F-16 fighter jets shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in Estonian airspace, as reported by Reuters. "NATO confirmed that Romanian F-16 fighter jets from NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania shot down a drone in Estonian airspace," the wire service reported. NATO stated that an investigation into the UAV incident is currently underway. Earlier, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov apologized to Estonia for the downing of the Ukrainian Armed Forces drone. However, Pevkur reiterated that Ukraine had not requested permission to use Estonian airspace.
NATO Secretary General admits drone downed over Estonia was Ukrainian (20/5)
Today's revelation that the drone downed over Estonia was of Ukrainian origin raises new questions regarding regional security in the Baltic. According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte admitted that the unmanned aircraft was Ukrainian. "It was a Ukrainian drone," the official stated characteristically.
What the Kremlin had stated earlier
The Kremlin had announced earlier that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were allegedly preparing drone attacks against Russia via the Baltic countries, according to an Izvestia report. The press secretary of the Russian President, Dmitry Peskov, admitted that the issue of drones entering Russian territory via the airspace of Baltic countries is a real problem. "One way or another, drones are already entering through the airspace of the Baltic countries," he stated. According to Peskov, Russian military and intelligence services are already working on Moscow's necessary response to these developments. "The primary goal is to ensure the safety of Russian citizens and industrial infrastructure," the Kremlin representative emphasized. Meanwhile, the Kremlin reiterated that Russia will continue its "special military operation" in Ukraine, despite—as it claims—Kyiv's "aggressive statements." "Until we achieve our goals," Moscow declared.
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