Lithuanian leaders rushed to bunkers as drone violates country's airspace

A drone violated Lithuania’s airspace, prompting a mobile phone shelter alert in Vilnius. Lithuania’s president and prime minister, along with cabinet members and MPs, were rushed to underground bunkers. Air and train traffic in and around the city was suspended, and residents were urged to take shelter and wait for further instructions. Schools moved children to designated shelters, while people in offices and apartment buildings went to basements. The defence ministry issued the warning at about 10:20am on Wednesday, lasting about an hour. The European Commission president said Russia and Belarus were directly responsible for recent drone incursions into EU and NATO airspace. NATO officials said the drones were not there because Ukraine wanted to target Baltic states.

"Air and train traffic in and around the city was suspended after the mobile phone take shelter alert, the first issued in an EU and Nato country since the start of Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Air raid alert! Go immediately to a shelter or a safe place, take care of your family members and wait for further instructions, read the defence ministry's warning, which was sent at about 10.20am on Wednesday and lasted for about an hour."

"Schools brought children to designated shelters, people in office and apartment buildings went down to basements, and Lithuania's president, Gitanas Nauseda, and prime minister, Inga Ruginiene, were rushed to bunkers along with cabinet members and MPs. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said after the alert that Russia and Belarus had been directly responsible for a spate of drone incursions into EU and Nato countries' airspace during recent weeks."

"Russian electronic jamming has been blamed for the Ukrainian drones crossing into Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all of which border Russia. A Nato jet shot down a drone over Estonia on Tuesday, while Latvia's prime minister resigned last week over the incursions. Russia's public threats against our Baltic states are completely unacceptable, von der Leyen said on social media. Russia and Belarus bear direct responsibility for drones endangering the lives and security of people on our eastern flank."

"Nato's secretary general, Mark Rutte, said on Wednesday that even if drones crash-landing in the Baltic states had been launched by Ukraine, they were not there because Ukraine wants to send a drone to Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia. They"

"The defence ministry's warning, which was sent at about 10.20am on Wednesday. Photograph: Mindaugas Kulbis/AP"

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