Vilnius airport temporarily closed after drone warning

Analysed · First reported 3 Oct 2026 · Updated 3 Oct 2026

Vilnius airport was shut down after a drone warning, with the alert lasting either a few hours or less than an hour. Officials said there was no danger and did not disclose the cause, while one report said NATO fighter jets were tasked to identify the target.

Closure and duration

Vilnius airport was closed because of a drone warning. The warning was in force for only a few hours according to three sources, while three other sources said it lasted less than an hour and was subsequently removed.

Authorities' comments

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the Lithuanian crisis management centre, did not immediately disclose the reason for the warning and said there was no danger at the site.

Previous incident

Last month the airport was also closed for a possible drone incident, which was later identified as a flock of birds.

Additional actions

One report said NATO fighter jets were ordered to identify the target, suspected to have come from Belarus, and noted the target’s speed was so slow it may have been a bird flock. The Lithuanian crisis management centre was informed of the situation.

What's still unclear

Sources differ on the length of the warning, with three reporting a few hours and three reporting less than an hour.

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