Lithuania confirmed that what was initially believed to be a drone sighting in its airspace on Sunday, leading to the closure of Vilnius airport and the dispatch of a NATO fighter jet, turned out to be a group of birds.
The air alert was swiftly lifted, and the airport resumed operations after 38 minutes once the NATO jet visually identified the birds, as reported by Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre. The Centre mentioned that bird and drone marks can appear similar on initial radar readings.
A fighter jet was called from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian air force is stationed for the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission. Incidents of military drones crossing into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have raised concerns about the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on NATO’s northern borders with Russia.
Despite the airspace scare, the Vilnius marathon, which was underway in the capital, continued without interruption, confirmed organizers to Reuters.
In a separate incident in August, German authorities disclosed that an employee at Leipzig/Halle Airport discovered a drone carrying an unidentified explosive device in the cargo operations zone.
NATO’s vigilance in monitoring airspace threats over eastern Europe, especially concerning suspicious drone activities that lead to airport closures, remains paramount. CBC’s Briar Stewart delves into Operation Eastern Sentry, shedding light on NATO’s surveillance efforts and the ongoing watch for potential threats in the skies.
