Russian military aircraft for a short time in the airspace of Lithuania. Announcement from Vilnius authorities
Russian Su-30SM fighter jet. Credit: Tass / WillWest News / Profimedia
Two Russian military aircraft entered the airspace of NATO member Lithuania for about 18 seconds on Thursday, the Baltic state's military said, according to Reuters.
The aircraft in question, an Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling plane, may have been on a refueling training mission when they crossed the border, entering Lithuanian airspace from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the Lithuanian military explained.
In response, Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from NATO's air policing mission in the Baltic area have been lifted from the ground and are patrolling the area, the military said.
A month ago, after a series of violations of the airspace of NATO countries, including Romania, Moscow rejected such accusations, calling them hysteria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's statement came a day after US President Donald Trump said allied states should shoot down Russian planes if they violate their territory, France Presse noted at the time.
“We are hearing exaggerated hysteria about the alleged violation of some rules and invasion of someone else's airspace by our military pilots,” Peskov said, calling the allegations “baseless.”
A day ago, Donald Trump declared that he “believes” that NATO countries should shoot down Russian planes that violate their airspace.
The US president later avoided saying whether the United States would join efforts to shoot down Russian planes violating NATO airspace. “It depends on the circumstances,” the American leader said. “But you know, we are very strong as NATO,” he added.
