Two Italian Eurofighter F-2000 fighters were scrambled from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania after two Russian military aircraft violated Lithuanian airspace. The interception formed part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission and was coordinated through the alliance’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem.
The response underlines the continuing role of NATO’s eastern-flank air policing mission in the Baltic region, where allied aircraft regularly launch to identify, shadow and escort aircraft that approach or cross alliance airspace. The latest incident follows a series of recent aerial security episodes in Lithuania, including separate activity involving Italian crews at the same base.
Available reporting indicates the operation was a scramble and intercept rather than a combat engagement. Publicly confirmed material does not identify the Russian aircraft type or provide the precise time of the violation, and no standalone official statement from Italy, NATO or Lithuania was available in the confirmed coverage.