Vilnius, October 24: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Thursday that two Russian military aircraft briefly violated Lithuania’s airspace, condemning the incident as a “blatant breach” of the country’s sovereignty and international law.
Nausėda said on the social media platform X that the violation underscores the need to strengthen Europe’s air defence capabilities. “This is a blatant breach of international law and territorial integrity of Lithuania,” he wrote. “Once again, it confirms the importance of strengthening European air defence readiness.”
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry said it would summon representatives of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius to formally protest the violation. There was no immediate comment from Moscow.
The Lithuanian armed forces said that around 6 p.m. local time on Thursday, an SU-30 fighter jet and an IL-78 refueling aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace near the western border by about 700 meters (765 yards) for roughly 18 seconds before turning back.
The incident occurred near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, where Lithuanian officials believe the aircraft were conducting refueling exercises. Two Spanish fighter jets operating under NATO’s air policing mission were scrambled in response.
The Baltic nations have been on heightened alert amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, with a string of drone incursions and airspace violations in recent weeks raising tensions in the region.
Some European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of testing NATO’s defensive boundaries through such actions, a charge Moscow denies.
Earlier on Thursday, Nausėda attended an EU summit in Brussels where leaders endorsed “Readiness 2030” — a plan to bolster Europe’s capacity to defend itself against external threats by the end of the decade.
