Lithuania confirmed that a suspected drone sighting in its airspace on Sunday, which led to the temporary closure of Vilnius airport and the dispatch of a NATO fighter jet, was actually a group of birds. The airport resumed operations after 38 minutes once the NATO jet visually identified the situation, as reported by Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre.
The Centre explained that initial radar readings can sometimes mistake bird movements for drones. A NATO jet was deployed from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian air force is stationed for the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.
Incidents of military drones trespassing into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are raising concerns about the Ukraine conflict extending into the northern borders of NATO with Russia. Despite the airspace alert, the Vilnius marathon in the capital proceeded without interruption, according to event organizers.
In a separate incident in August, a Leipzig/Halle Airport employee discovered a drone with an undisclosed explosive device in the cargo operations zone. This raised security concerns and prompted investigations into potential threats.
For further insights into how NATO monitors airspace threats, watch the video embedded above. NATO remains vigilant over eastern Europe for suspicious drone activities that could disrupt airport operations. CBC’s Briar Stewart delves into the Operation Eastern Sentry mission and the ongoing surveillance efforts to safeguard the skies.
[Source: CBC News]