NATO scrambles a fighter jet after a possible drone sighting in Lithuania’s airspace, but the incident is later assessed as a flock of birds. Lithuanian authorities report that the initial alert leads to action by both civil aviation and NATO.
The sighting prompts the closure of Vilnius airport and an air alert, according to multiple outlets. The alert is lifted after about 38 minutes, when a NATO jet performs a visual identification and confirms the cause. Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre says the airport reopens once the threat assessment changes.
Outlets differ mainly in wording and emphasis. Some describe the event as a “drone intrusion” that is “probable,” while others focus on the speed of the response and the confirmation by visual inspection. All accounts converge on the same outcome: the reported object is not a drone, and operations resume shortly after.
