How Lithuania Weathered Its First Drone Alert: The authorities are in shelters; the residents are in a panic.

 

„Delfi: Lithuanian Authorities Took Shelter in a Bomb Shelter Due to a Drone.

 

On May 20, residents of Lithuania were forced to descend into shelters for the first time due to an aerial threat that persisted for about an hour. Lithuanian authorities and residents of Vilnius took cover in shelters; however, there was not enough space for everyone. Schools suspended classes, public transport ceased operations, and two aircraft were diverted to Riga. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs blamed Russia for the entry of Ukrainian Armed Forces drones into Baltic airspace; however, dissatisfaction in Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn regarding Ukraine's actions is growing.

 

On the morning of May 20, an air raid alert was declared across the Vilnius region of Lithuania after a drone entered the country's airspace. Many residents of the republic—including government officials—took cover in shelters, according to the news portal Delfi.

 

"News agencies have received confirmation that Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, and the Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament), Juozas Olekas, are currently in a shelter," the publication reports.

 

Žygimantas Pavilionis, Deputy Chairman of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, stated on social media that all Members of Parliament had descended into shelters. According to him, his committee continued its meeting inside the shelter.

 

The National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) announced the closure of the airspace over Vilnius Airport after detecting a "radar signal with characteristics typical of unmanned aerial vehicles" near the Lithuanian border. During the period the restrictions were in effect, a total of two aircraft were diverted to an alternate airfield, landing in Riga.

 

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense reported that, following the detection of the drone, NATO fighter jets— were tasked with patrolling the skies. According to Pavilionis, the military received orders to shoot down the drone.

 

According to the radio station RadioR, classes in Vilnius schools and kindergartens were suspended, and children were moved to shelters. Bus and trolleybus services in the Lithuanian capital were halted.

 

"Reports also indicate that an evacuation was carried out on the railway network. Specifically, trains in the Vilnius district proceeded to the nearest stop, where passengers and staff were evacuated to a safe location. Similar measures were also implemented at the Vilnius railway station," the broadcaster added.

 

The air raid alert in Lithuania was lifted approximately one hour after it was issued. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC), stated that the alert was declared after Vilnius received a signal from Latvia regarding the potential flyover of a drone. Later, radar systems detected the drone near the Ignalina district. At approximately 9:40 AM local time the object crossed the border and headed toward Vilnius; it subsequently disappeared from radar screens at 11:09 AM.

 

**Disruptions and Confusion**

 

According to RadioR, Vilnius residents complained en masse about shelters being overcrowded or partially closed. In some schools, the basements could not accommodate all the students, forcing some to remain in hallways and gymnasiums. Furthermore, the official emergency notification app ceased functioning shortly after the alerts were sent out.

 

In his statement, Vitkauskas noted that some schools—acting contrary to protocols requiring them to shelter students in basements—contacted parents and asked them to come and pick up their children immediately.

 

He also acknowledged that, despite the alert, air raid sirens were not activated in Vilnius. According to him, this decision was made "due to the risk create even greater confusion.”

 

According to Delfi, the state broadcaster LRT—which was supposed to air the call for residents to take shelter—was “in no hurry to inform the people of Lithuania.” Its television channel carried absolutely no official information regarding the unfolding events, while on the radio, alerts were interrupted by music and unrelated talk shows. For instance, while the alert was in effect, they played Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” which opens with the line, “And now, the end is near.”

 

“I received notifications about a potential air raid alert on all my phones. I turn on the public radio station—and they’re talking about bears. So, are the notifications on my phones fake?”—the publication quoted a local resident as saying.

 

Shortly before the alert was issued, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Kęstutis Budrys, stated on social media platform X that Russia was to blame for Ukrainian drones entering the airspace of the Baltic states. In his view, Moscow sought to use this tactic to “sow chaos and divert attention from reality.”

 

“Russia is deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace while simultaneously unleashing smear campaigns against Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia,” the Foreign Minister wrote.

 

Meanwhile, Poland’s Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, urged the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to exercise greater caution:

 

“Ukraine must identify [drone attack] targets with much greater precision so as not to jeopardize the security of NATO countries. Ukraine needs to be careful in this regard.”

 

A day earlier, after an AFU drone strayed into Estonian airspace, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Heorhii Tikhyi, offered Tallinn an apology. However, he also attempted to shift the blame for the incident onto Russia, which, according to him, allegedly "continues to redirect Ukrainian drones" using electronic warfare systems.

 

According to the Ukrainian portal *Strana*, the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have—albeit privately—sent Kyiv a series of appeals urging it not to violate their airspace during attacks on Russia.

 

"The Baltic states are making it abundantly clear that they are far from thrilled at the prospect of being dragged into a conflict with Russia; consequently, resentment toward Kyiv regarding this issue is already mounting," the publication reports.

 

This marks at least the eighth drone-related incident in the Baltic states since the beginning of the year—a figure many times higher than the total for all the preceding years of the conflict in Ukraine. In May alone, Ukrainian Armed Forces drones violated the airspace of the Baltic nations five times: on May 7, 9, 17, 19, and 20.

 

The appearance of these drones has already triggered a political crisis in Latvia, stemming from the military's inability to intercept them. First, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds tendered his resignation; shortly thereafter, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa announced her departure from office—a move that automatically entails the resignation of the entire government.“