Two Russian military aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace on Thursday for about 18 seconds, the country’s military reported. Officials identified the aircraft as an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refuelling tanker. They appeared to be conducting a refuelling exercise when they crossed into NATO member Lithuania from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad at around 1600 CET.
Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO’s Baltic Air Police immediately scrambled to patrol the area. Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda denounced the act on X, calling it a “blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity.” He strongly condemned the violation and demanded a firm response. Moscow has not issued any comment.
NATO Increases Readiness Amid Russian Provocations
NATO and the European Union have heightened alert levels after a series of recent airspace intrusions believed to involve Russian forces. At the end of September, NATO warned Moscow that it would use all available means to counter further violations. The warning followed Russian drone incidents over Poland and Estonia’s report of unauthorized fighter jet entries.
Poland’s 10 September drone incident marked the first direct confrontation between NATO and Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022. Estonia later confirmed that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace for 12 minutes without permission, an accusation the Kremlin denied. European leaders expressed deep concern, questioning NATO’s readiness against rising Russian aggression.
NATO released a statement asserting that the alliance would employ all necessary military and non-military measures to defend itself and deter threats from every direction.
Northern Europe Reports Drone and Airspace Intrusions
After Poland’s airspace breach, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte introduced the Eastern Sentry programme to deter further Russian provocations and strengthen solidarity with Poland. He condemned drone incursions as unacceptable, stressing that defending all alliance members remains vital to European security.
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 highlight the challenges modern societies must prepare to face. The Kremlin dismissed the claims as “unfounded.”
A day earlier, Norway’s Oslo airport also suspended operations for three hours following reports of drones in the area. Norwegian authorities reported three Russian airspace violations in 2025 but remain uncertain whether the latest incident was intentional or caused by navigation mistakes. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said any breach, regardless of motive, remains unacceptable.
