Lithuanian Interior Minister on Vilnius Airport Drone Incident
Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic reported that the drone, which prompted the temporary closure of Vilnius Airport on November 5, was never found. The radar signal that triggered the airport's shutdown turned out to be a false alarm.
Radar Signal and Airport Closure
The minister explained that a moving object appeared on radar, which led air police to scramble fighter jets for investigation. However, no drone or other object was confirmed.
“There was a mark on the radar indicating that something might be moving, so we scrambled fighter jets and checked everything, but found nothing. It was, as they say, 'radar interference'; nothing was confirmed,” Kondratovic said.
Return to Normal Operations
Following thorough checks by air police, the airport resumed regular flights without further incident.
“Nothing was found, the sky was checked, the air police forces did their job. Everything is fine, the airport is back to normal,” the minister added.
Context on Drone Incidents
- Vilnius Airport suspended operations on the morning of November 5 due to an unidentified drone sighting.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that systematic violations of EU airspace by Russian drones are part of Russia's hybrid war against Europe.
Several airports in the Russian Federation have also suspended operations recently, resulting in flight cancellations.