In brief
On May 20, 2026, Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene took cover in an emergency shelter following a drone alert, which brought the capital to a standstill. Flights were suspended and road and rail transport halted until the alert was lifted. The alert coincided with recent drone incidents affecting neighboring Latvia and Estonia, raising concerns over regional security amidst ongoing tensions with Russia.
Lithuania's president and prime minister were forced to take shelter on Tuesday, when a drone alert caused the capital Vilnius to come to a standstill.
President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene were taken to emergency shelters following the air alert, which ordered the city's population to take cover.
Flights were suspended and road and rail travel briefly ground to a halt. The alert has since been lifted. It is not yet clear who was behind the incursion.
It came a day after Estonia said Nato shot down a drone over its territory, which it suspected was a Ukrainian projectile knocked off course by Russian electronic interference.
It was the latest in a series of recent drone incursions over Nato members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. An alert from Lithuania's defence ministry advised citizens to immediately take shelter and await further recommendations.
The drone's origin had not been confirmed, and Lithuania's military stated that Nato jets had been dispatched to shoot down it but could not locate the drone.
As tensions escalate in the region, the alert underscores ongoing security concerns and the complex dynamics influenced by the war in Ukraine and the involvement of various state actors.
