Lithuania Ends Drone Alert After Suspected Aircraft Diverts Near Vilnius

Lithuanian officials lifted a drone alert on Wednesday after a suspected military drone approached the area near Lentvaris before diverting away from the capital. The country's defense minister told Reuters that the aircraft changed direction and left the immediate area.

The chief of Lithuania's national crisis management center said authorities are still investigating whether the drone crashed or exited the country and are working to determine its origin. Officials confirmed the object was a military drone.

Secretary He noted that a Romanian F-16 fighter jet stationed in Lithuania intercepted a drone over Estonia the previous day. Rutte linked the incidents to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in 2022. He said drones appearing over NATO territory result from that conflict rather than any deliberate action by Ukraine.

Rutte described Russia as the most direct threat to Euro-Atlantic security during a press briefing ahead of a NATO ministerial meeting in Sweden. He said European allies must increase their own defense spending and take greater responsibility for conventional defense.

The secretary general also addressed questions about U.S. troop adjustments in Europe. He said changes would occur in a structured manner as the United States shifts focus toward other regions.