Air alert canceled in Lithuania after a drone appeared near the border with Belarus. During the alert, trains were halted, flights in Vilnius were restricted, and residents of some regions were urged to take cover.
On Wednesday morning, the authorities of Lithuania canceled the air alert that had been issued due to the threat of a drone near the eastern border of the country.
According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, about two hours passed from the first warnings sent to residents until the complete cancellation of the alert.
Initially, a yellow level of danger was declared in the Ignalina, Utena, Švenčionys, and Zarasai districts. Later, the alert spread to the Vilnius and Utena counties, where the threat level was raised to red.
After the red level was announced, residents of Vilnius County were urged to immediately go to shelters.
In some places, the measures were particularly strict. For example, in Ignalina, people in educational institutions were ordered to go to shelters.
Also, due to the air alert, the leadership of Lithuania was evacuated to a shelter - President Gitanas Nausėda, Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas, and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
The cause of the alert was a drone spotted in Belarus near the Lithuanian border.
Due to the threat, restrictions were imposed in the airspace over Vilnius Airport. Two planes heading to the Lithuanian capital were redirected to Riga.
Train services by the company "Lietuvos geležinkeliai" were also temporarily halted. Schedule disruptions affected rail transport across the country.
Additionally, the operations of institutions and shopping centers were suspended in several locations.
Importantly, this is no longer an isolated incident. In recent months, the Baltic states and Finland have increasingly encountered drones and air alerts amid Russia's war against Ukraine.
The last similar case in Lithuania occurred just a few days ago - on Sunday, a suspected Ukrainian military drone with explosives fell in the Utena district.
In light of the increasing incidents, the authorities of the Baltic states are enhancing security measures, alert systems, and coordination with NATO.
Although the current alert in Lithuania has been canceled, the incident once again demonstrated how quickly threats in the airspace can impact transportation, the operation of institutions, and the daily lives of people.
