Latvian and Lithuanian authorities activated NATO air policing fighter jets and issued security warnings after unidentified flying objects entered Baltic airspace near the Russian and Belarusian borders.
Latvia’s armed forces posted urgent warnings on X instructing residents in eastern regions to shelter indoors as potential threats entered national airspace. Military officials subsequently confirmed that the danger had passed and that an object was believed to have landed on the ground in a border area near Russia.
The National Crisis Management Centre in Lithuania issued code yellow broadcasts urging residents in Vilnius and Utena counties to seek safety. The alert stated: The Lithuanian Armed Forces inform: POSSIBLE AIR RAID ALERT (YELLOW). Find a safe place. If you see a suspicious object, keep away, call 112. Wait for the all-clear.
Kaunas Airport temporarily suspended operations while the National Crisis Management Centre monitored the situation.
In the early hours of Wednesday, a series of warnings affected multiple municipalities across eastern and central Latvia, including Ludza, Krāslava, Augšdaugava, Balvi, Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils, Madona, Cēsis, Smiltene, and Gulbene.
Authorities clarified that the system deploys a two-tier cell broadcast approach, using yellow alerts for informational notices about potential airspace dangers and orange alerts for confirmed threats demanding immediate protective action. Citizens indoors were advised to find shelter behind at least two exterior walls, while motorists were directed to evaluate their surroundings or move away from roads to safe locations.
National Crisis Management Centre head Vilmantas Vitkauskas told radio station LRT that the incoming object remained under close observation. Vitkauskas stated: Our air force continues to monitor it.
National Armed Forces naval captain Seldzis Grasmanis explained to Latvian Radio that multiple aircraft approaches prompted both yellow and orange warnings across Ludza, Krāslava, Augšdaugava, Balvi, and other eastern municipalities.
Defence Minister Raivis Melnis addressed operational challenges during an interview with Latvian Television’s Rīta panorāma, acknowledging that earlier interception efforts faced coordination delays between interceptor drones and allied aircraft. Melnis announced that decision-making authority has been delegated directly to ground-based drone interception teams to ensure faster responses.
Additional radar systems have also been positioned along the eastern border to improve early detection capabilities. Officials noted that the interceptor drone framework, established in September, includes mechanisms to self-destruct if necessary to avoid crossing into neighboring airspace.
Regional security concerns have escalated as cross-border incidents continue to affect Baltic nations and Poland. Moscow has maintained that Kyiv utilizes NATO airspace as a shield for military operations, whereas Ukrainian representatives contend that electronic warfare and signal jamming by Russian forces frequently divert unmanned aerial vehicles off course. Meanwhile, alliance members emphasize that the broader security crisis stems from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.