Two Russian military planes violated Lithuania's airspace: “This incident proves once again that Russia behaves like a terrorist state”
Two Russian military planes entered Lithuania's airspace for about 18 seconds on Thursday, October 23, the Lithuanian military announced. The incident happened around 15:00 GMT. Lithuania, like Latvia and Estonia, has strained relations with Russia.
The Prime Minister of Lithuania condemned the incident. PHOTO: X/@AviationNews
According to official information, it is a Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet and an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker plane, which would have participated in an in-flight refueling training mission, according to Reuters.
The two aircraft entered Lithuanian airspace coming from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, located between Poland and Lithuania.
Following the airspace violation, Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft belonging to the Spanish Air Force, deployed as part of NATO's air policing mission in the Baltic states, were urgently raised for interception.
The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Inga Ruginiene, condemned the incident:
“This incident proves once again that Russia behaves like a terrorist state, defying international law and the security of neighboring countries,” sent the head of government in a message published on Facebook.
“Lithuania is safe. Together with our allies, we are vigilant and will defend every inch of our country,” she assured.
Lithuania is one of Ukraine's most vocal supporters within NATO and the EU, allocating record percentages of GDP to defense and military support to Kiev.
