Vilnius shelters ordered after drone detected near Belarus border

An air danger alert sent residents of Vilnius and Lithuania's top political leaders into shelters on Wednesday after a drone was detected near the country's border with Belarus. The incident, which lasted approximately one hour, led to the suspension of air traffic at Vilnius Airport and halted regional train services.

The Lithuanian military issued an emergency message instructing people in the capital region to immediately seek shelter. President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė were moved to secure locations, and an evacuation order was issued at the parliament building. Schools and kindergartens also moved children to shelters during the alert.

Officials stated the alert was triggered by a radar signal detected in Belarusian airspace with characteristics typical of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The NATO Air Policing mission was activated in response. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, speaking from an underground shelter, said military aircraft were working to neutralize the threat.

The national crisis management center later said no drones were sighted over Lithuanian territory, and the all-clear was given around an hour after the initial warning. Vilmantas...