Lithuania and Latvia activated mobile air danger warnings in their eastern districts on the morning of May 20, 2026, after military radar detected tracks with characteristics of unmanned aircraft near the two countries’ borders. The Lithuanian alert was lifted at 11:00 local time, while Latvia’s had been declared over earlier in the morning.
NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission had been activated in response, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a statement.
Lithuania has issued an air alert in parts of the country after a suspected drone approaching from Belarus was detected near the border. NATO Baltic Air Policing has been activated.
— Lithuanian MOD 🇱🇹 (@Lithuanian_MoD) May 20, 2026
Alerts issued along the Belarus border
The Lithuanian alert covered the districts of Vilnius, Ignalina, Utena, Zarasai, and Švenčionys, in northeastern Lithuania along the borders with Belarus and Latvia. The Lithuanian Armed Forces said a “radar mark” with features typical of UAVs was being monitored in the area.
The municipality of Ignalina in Lithuania began moving children in educational institutions to shelters as a precaution after receiving the alert, LRT reported, citing Mayor Laimutis Ragaišis.
Latvia simultaneously warned of a “possible threat in Latvian airspace” in the Ludza, Krāslava, and Rēzekne municipalities, along the country’s border with Russia.
The Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) said they had reinforced air defense capabilities along the eastern border by deploying additional units, and noted that incidents involving foreign drones entering or approaching Latvian airspace remained possible while Russia’s war in Ukraine continued.
Shortly before declaring the threat over, the NBS announced that a low flyover of allied aircraft was expected over Rēzekne, the largest city in Latvia’s eastern Latgale region. The NBS declared the threat over around 40 minutes after the initial warning.
No official information was immediately available confirming that a drone had entered the airspace of either country, been intercepted, or crashed.
Second day of Baltic alerts
The alerts came a day after NATO Air Policing fighters had been activated over the Baltic region, with a Romanian F-16 shooting down a drone that had entered the airspace of Estonia. The Estonian Defence Forces said the unmanned aircraft crossed from Russian airspace into southeastern Estonia around noon and was likely of Ukrainian origin.
NATO Air Policing in the Baltic states is currently led from Šiauliai Air Base by French Air and Space Force Rafale fighters, supported by Romanian F-16s. The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense said in March 2026 that the rotation was intended to ensure continuous protection of Lithuanian, Latvian, and Estonian airspace.
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