Lithuania briefly closed Vilnius Airport on 13 September after radar picked up a suspected drone, prompting NATO to scramble fighter jets from Šiauliai Air Base. The object was later identified as a flock of birds, and the airport reopened after a 38-minute disruption. The air alert covered Vilnius and nearby districts before being lifted.
Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said a visual check by the NATO aircraft confirmed there was no drone threat. The incident highlighted the pressure on the country’s air-defence and civil aviation systems near the Belarus border, where authorities have been on alert for possible unmanned aircraft incursions.
Reuters reported that radar returns from birds and drones can look similar, which can trigger rapid responses even when the contact proves harmless. The brief suspension affected operations at Vilnius Airport but did not lead to a prolonged closure or wider disruption.