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.

This incident followed Estonia's report of a NATO operation where a drone was shot down, believed to be a Ukrainian projectile interfered with by Russian technology. The Lithuanian alert coincided with a warning received from their defense ministry, urging citizens to find shelter and await further instructions.

Authorities reported that a drone from Belarus was sighted approaching Lithuania; however, its origin remains unverified. NATO jets were dispatched to intercept the drone but could not locate it. In light of recent drone incursions affecting NATO allies in the Baltic region, the situation has been highlighted as a growing concern, particularly given the escalating tensions stemming from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and its spillover effects on neighboring countries.

An evacuation order was also issued at Lithuania's parliament, where politicians were directed to a basement shelter during the alert.

Notably, last week, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned amid political turmoil linked to similar drone incidents, reflecting the broader geopolitical tensions in the region connected to Russia's aggressive military posture towards Ukraine.