Lithuania said a suspected drone spotted in its airspace on Sunday, which led authorities to temporarily shut Vilnius airport and prompted NATO to deploy at least one fighter jet, was actually a flock of birds.
The air alert was cancelled and the airport resumed operations within 38 minutes after the NATO aircraft visually identified the object, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre said.
“On initial radar readings, marks left by birds and drones can be similar,” the centre said in a statement.
According to the centre, the fighter jet was scrambled from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, where the Italian Air Force is currently stationed as part of NATO's Baltic Air Defence mission.
Recent incidents involving military drones entering the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have increased concerns that the Ukraine war could spill over into NATO's northern borders with Russia.
Meanwhile, the Vilnius marathon, which was underway in the Lithuanian capital, continued without interruption, organisers told Reuters.
