Lithuania summoned a Russian diplomat Thursday after it said two Russian military aircraft violated its airspace.
A Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet and an IL-78 tanker from Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave crossed roughly 700 metres into Lithuanian territory and remained for around 18 seconds before exiting, according to the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Vilnius issued a “strong protest” to the Russian Embassy’s charge d’affaires, urging Moscow to immediately explain the incident and take measures to prevent any recurrence.
Russia’s defence ministry denied any incursion, saying the aircraft stayed strictly within Russian airspace and did not deviate from planned routes.
Two Spanish Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons assigned to the NATO Baltic air-policing mission were scrambled in response to the border breach.
The Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all NATO members — have reported a rise in territorial violations by Russian aircraft and drones since Moscow’s full-scale war in Ukraine.
In September, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland for nearly 12 minutes, triggering Tallinn to seek urgent consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
