Lithuania temporarily closed Vilnius Airport, and NATO scrambled a fighter jet in response to the possible presence of a drone

Lithuania temporarily closed Vilnius Airport after authorities received information about the possible sighting of a drone in the country's airspace. As a precautionary measure, NATO mobilized at least one fighter jet to assess the situation.

The aircraft took off from the base in Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania, where Italian Air Force aircraft are stationed as part of NATO's air-policing mission for the Baltic states. The National Crisis Management Centre subsequently announced that the air alert had been lifted and that Vilnius Airport had reopened after approximately one hour.

The incident did not affect the marathon taking place in Lithuania's capital, organizers told Reuters. Authorities have so far provided no details regarding the identification of the drone or its origin.

The alert comes amid an increase in drone-related incidents reported by countries on NATO's eastern flank. Several states have reported incursions or possible incursions by unmanned aircraft into their airspace, in the context of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine.