Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced on the evening of October 23 that Russian Air Force aircraft had violated Lithuanian airspace.
Modern.az reports that, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, a Russian Air Force “Su-30” fighter jet and an “Il-78” tanker aircraft crossed the Lithuanian air border near the city of Kybartai, in the border zone with the Kaliningrad region. The aircraft flew over Lithuania for approximately 700 meters before returning to Russian territory 18 seconds later.
Immediately after the incident, two Spanish “Eurofighter Typhoon” fighter jets took off as part of NATO's air policing mission.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense does not rule out that the incident occurred during an in-flight refueling exercise.
President Nauseda, for his part, assessed Russia's action as “a gross violation of international law and Lithuania's territorial integrity”:
“This incident once again demonstrates the importance of strengthening Europe's air defense system,” – the head of state said.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon representatives of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius regarding the incident and present a note of protest against “dangerous and irresponsible behavior”.
