Lithuanian authorities placed the country’s air raid alert system on standby and reinforced border security this week amid mounting regional tensions caused by Russian drone incursions into NATO territory and the start of large-scale Russian-Belarusian military exercises.
The National Crisis Management Center (NKVC) said Lithuania’s military and responsible agencies had been monitoring developments “from the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine last night,” when multiple Russian drones entered Polish airspace. The NKVC confirmed that the Public Warning and Information System was placed on alert so that citizens could be warned immediately if needed. According to the NKVC, Lithuania also raised its level of alertness and strengthened border and airspace protection.
Polish authorities reported that several drones either crashed or were shot down in the country’s eastern regions, with one striking a house but causing no casualties. “Last night the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X, adding that he had been in contact with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and allied leaders.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė told LRT Radio that the incident was an “escalation” and warned of further violations. She noted that Lithuania and Poland share the same NATO air picture and that Vilnius’ response would have mirrored Warsaw’s measures. Šakalienė said she would raise the matter with her Polish counterpart and expressed readiness to support any Polish request for NATO assistance.
President Gitanas Nausėda wrote on X that Russia was “deliberately expanding its aggression, posing an ever-growing threat to Europe.” Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys also commented on X, urging urgent reinforcement of NATO’s eastern defences and stressing that “air defense along NATO’s frontline must be reinforced without delay. The Alliance must respond with capabilities, not just concerns.”
The heightened state of alert comes as Lithuania tightens security along its borders with Belarus and Russia during the Zapad 2025 military exercises, set to run through next Tuesday. The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) said in a statement that surveillance and patrols would be increased with support from other national defence agencies and the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, a volunteer paramilitary group.
“An operational response to possible incidents of various kinds will be ensured by using both reinforced forces and additional technical border control, criminal intelligence, and other measures and existing infrastructure,” the VSAT said.
Lithuanian Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaikšnoras told reporters earlier that the military had already raised readiness levels in August and September in anticipation of the exercises, which intelligence services estimate could involve up to 30,000 troops.
The VSAT noted that border protections with Belarus and Russia had already been strengthened in February 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a surge in migrant crossings from Belarus into the EU. The agency described the situation as “a hybrid attack on a regional scale coordinated by Russian special services,” pointing to ongoing threats such as smuggling, border violations, and state-facilitated migrant flows.
Lithuania shares nearly 680 kilometres of border with Belarus and a 274-kilometre frontier with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, making it a critical frontline state for NATO security in the region.
