Lithuanian authorities issued air raid alerts in central and northern parts of the country on the morning of October 18 after detecting an unidentified flying object. NATO fighter jets were scrambled to investigate the potential threat, and Kaunas Airport temporarily suspended operations.
The Lithuanian military and the National Crisis Management Center reported the incident.
Residents in several areas were advised to take shelter. The warning remained in effect for approximately an hour before being lifted.
Preliminary information suggested that the object might have been a drone. Lithuanian authorities said it could have entered the country's airspace from Poland, but Polish radar systems did not confirm a border crossing.
Cloud cover prevented the NATO aircraft from visually identifying the object.
Debris believed to have come from a drone was later found in Lithuania's Pasvalys district. Authorities also reported damage to a vehicle near the village of Juodžionys.
In neighboring Latvia, officials temporarily issued warnings about a possible aerial threat in areas bordering Lithuania.
The origin of the aircraft and the circumstances of its appearance in Lithuanian airspace had not been established at the time of reporting.
The Baltic states have recorded repeated incidents involving drones amid Russia's war against Ukraine. In some cases, Ukrainian officials have attributed drones straying from their routes to interference from Russian electronic warfare systems.
There is currently no basis, however, for concluding that the object detected on October 18 belonged to Russia or Ukraine.