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Lost Russian-bound Ukrainian drone causes panic in Baltic states, air raid alert in Lithuania's capital

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A drone alert caused citizens in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, to seek shelter in underground parking garages.
  • The drone, believed to be a Ukrainian drone that went off course due to Russian jamming, prompted NATO fighter jets to scramble.
  • This incident marks the first time a drone alert has led to an evacuation order in an EU capital since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Baltic states, long on the front lines of geopolitical tension, are now experiencing the direct fallout of the conflict in Ukraine in a way that is deeply unsettling. Yesterday, the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, sounded a drone air raid siren, forcing residents, including the President and Prime Minister, to seek shelter in underground garages. This was not an attack by Russia, but rather a Ukrainian drone, reportedly knocked off course by Russian electronic warfare, that strayed into NATO airspace.

Air raid alert! Immediately move to shelters or safe places, take care of your family, and await new recommendations.

· Lithuanian militaryThe text message sent to residents of Vilnius during the drone alert.

This incident is particularly alarming as it represents the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that a drone alert has necessitated an evacuation in an EU capital. While the drone was eventually tracked and disappeared from radar, its presence caused significant disruption, grounding flights at Vilnius International Airport and halting train services. The Baltic states have already seen political repercussions, with Latvia's coalition government collapsing partly due to disputes over drone incursions.

Radar signals were detected coming from the territory of (the southern) Belarus, after which a NATO air reconnaissance mission was activated.

· Lithuanian militaryExplaining the detection of the drone's origin.

From our perspective in Vilnius, this event underscores the precarious security situation in our region. While Ukraine has apologized for the drone's deviation and pledged to work with NATO to prevent future occurrences, Russia has predictably used the incident to threaten the Baltic states, accusing them of aiding Ukrainian drone operations. The EU's response, with President von der Leyen stating that threats against one member state are threats against all, highlights the heightened tensions. This is not just a Ukrainian war; it is a European security crisis, and we in the Baltics feel its proximity more acutely than most.

We are working closely with both sides' expert groups to find ways to prevent recurrence, and will continue to do so.

· Heorhii TsykhlyiSpokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, apologizing for the drone incident.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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