Lithuania and Latvia temporarily introduce air alert over unidentified object

Response to unidentified object in airspace

On Sunday, 18 October, an air alert was introduced in Lithuania and Latvia. The cause was the detection of an unidentified object moving through the air. Combat aircraft operating under the NATO air defence system were deployed to monitor it.

Warning in Lithuania and flight ban

The morning incident began in Lithuania, where the military established a red threat level in the Šiauliai and Panevėžys districts. Residents of these areas received corresponding notifications on their mobile devices. Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas informed that NATO fighter jets were tracking the object in the Biržai district. Meanwhile, due to difficult weather conditions, pilots were unable to visually identify the drone.

“Due to difficult meteorological conditions, fighter jet pilots currently cannot visually identify the object,” Kaunas stated on Facebook.

Lithuania’s National Centre for the Management of Crisis Situations reported a temporary ban on flights at Kaunas Airport from 07:05 to 08:00. Subsequently, the military clarified that the unidentified object was moving towards Latvia.

Situation in Latvia and alert cancellation

In response to the threat, the Latvian National Armed Forces declared an air alert in the Bauska, Aizkraukle and Ogre municipalities. Local residents received orange warnings on their smartphones.

At 08:12, the alert in Latvia was cancelled. Around 08:10, the lifting of the air threat was also announced in Lithuania.