Lithuania’s Ministry of Defense declared an alert on the morning of May 20 after a drone approaching from Belarus was detected. Authorities initially introduced a “yellow level” warning, indicating a high probability of danger but not the maximum threat level.
The emergency warning system automatically sent alerts to residents of the Ignalina, Utena, Švenčionys, and Zarasai districts. Later, notifications were also issued to residents of the Vilnius region, where a “red level” alert was declared.
Amid the incident, Vilnius Airport suspended operations for roughly an hour beginning at 10:00 a.m. Public transportation in the capital was also temporarily halted.
In several localities, including Vilnius, authorities began evacuating residents to shelters. The country’s leadership was also in protective shelters, including President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, and Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas.
Members of Lithuania’s parliament sheltering underground.
Lithuania’s Defense Ministry said NATO air force units responsible for policing Baltic airspace were activated in response to the threat.
The alert was lifted at around 11:00 a.m.