Lithuania Says Suspected Drone Was Flock of Birds After NATO Scrambles Fighter Jet

Reuters

A NATO fighter jet.

Lithuanian authorities said a suspected drone sighting in the country’s airspace on Sunday, which prompted the closure of Vilnius Airport and led NATO to scramble at least one fighter jet, turned out to be a flock of birds.

The air alert was lifted and the airport reopened within 38 minutes after the NATO aircraft conducted a visual identification, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said.

"On initial radar readings, marks left by birds and drones can be similar," it added in a statement.

A jet had been summoned from Siauliai ‌in ⁠northern Lithuania, the centre said, where the Italian air force is currently based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.

Military drones straying ⁠into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is ⁠spilling over into NATO's northern borders with Russia.

Source: Reuters



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