The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MoD) said that Russian military aircraft briefly violated Lithuania’s airspace on October 23, 2025, prompting a rapid response from NATO jets on patrol.
“Our forces acted quickly with NATO jets on patrol. Lithuania remains strong and ready. Every inch of our country is protected,” the ministry wrote on X. No further details were immediately available regarding the type of aircraft involved, the duration of the violation, or its precise location.
The incident follows a similar breach reported by Estonia in September 2025, when three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace near Vaindloo Island for around 12 minutes. That event drew strong condemnation from Tallinn and NATO, which described the flight as “reckless.” Italian F-35s deployed under the Baltic Air Policing mission were scrambled in response, while Moscow denied any incursion.
Airspace violations by Russian aircraft over the Baltic region remain rare but sensitive, given heightened regional tensions since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Allied air patrols routinely intercept Russian military flights operating without flight plans, transponders, or radio contact, though most remain just outside NATO airspace.
In late September, Lithuania also authorized its armed forces to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles that enter its airspace after several Russian drones crashed on its territory near the border.
NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission operates from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania and Ämari Air Base in Estonia, providing continuous air defense coverage for the three Baltic states.
