Lithuania closes Vilnius airport, NATO summons jets in response to possible drone

Lithuania temporarily closed Vilnius airport and NATO scrambled at least one fighter after radar returns were initially assessed as a possible drone incursion on September 13. A jet launched from Šiauliai, where the Italian Air Force supports NATO’s Baltic air mission, visually identified the objects as a flock of birds. Authorities lifted the alert and reopened the airport within 38 minutes, explaining that birds and drones can produce similar radar signatures. The false alarm caused a brief aviation disruption but did not interrupt the Vilnius marathon or reveal an actual airspace violation.