Two Russian fighter jets briefly entered Lithuanian airspace for around 18 seconds before departing, Lithuanian officials said.
According to a statement from the Lithuanian Armed Forces, a Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jet and an IL-78 refuelling aircraft quickly flew about 700 metres into the NATO member’s airspace before turning back near the town of Kybartai.
Two Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets, deployed as part of NATO’s air policing mission, were scrambled in response to the incident. Lithuania, along with Poland, borders Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave.
“In the evening of 23 October, the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Federation’s embassy in Lithuania was summoned (…), handed a note of protest, and a strong protest was issued over the violation of Lithuanian airspace,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Vilnius urged Moscow to provide an explanation for the unexpected incursion and called on Russian authorities to ensure such incidents do not happen again.
The Russian Ministry of Defence, meanwhile, denied any breach of Lithuanian airspace in a message posted on Telegram.
