The Lithuanian Armed Forces have reported that two Russian military aircraft — a Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 tanker — briefly violated Lithuania’s airspace. The incursion lasted around 18 seconds at an altitude of about 700 meters. In response, Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission were immediately scrambled. President Gitanas Nausėda called the intrusion “a brutal violation of international law and Lithuania’s territorial sovereignty.”
According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the two Russian planes — the Su-30 and the Il-78 — entered Lithuanian airspace near the border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The breach lasted approximately 18 seconds at an altitude of roughly 700 meters.
In reaction, Spanish Eurofighter Typhoons were quickly launched as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. However, by the time they arrived, the Russian aircraft had already left Lithuanian airspace.
President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the act as a clear breach of international law.
“We condemn Russia’s actions and the intrusion of its military aircraft into our airspace. We can see that such incidents have been occurring more frequently lately — not only in Lithuania,” Nausėda said in a video statement posted on social media.
“I have no doubt that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs should summon representatives of the Russian embassy in the near future and deliver a formal note of protest,” the Lithuanian leader emphasized.