Lithuania has complained of a Russian incursion into its airspace of a pair of jets leaving Kaliningrad, the latest such violation in an apparently rising pace of events in recent weeks.
Two aircraft — a jet fighter and an aerial refuelling tanker jet — were intercepted by NATO Eurofighter Typhoons on the verge of Lithuanian airspace on Thursday. The interception comes amid discussion between NATO partners on how to deal with the rising pace of violations of the alliance’s airspace, including by manned jets and by drones.
The President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda made a statement on the jets in which he said he strongly condemned the flights. He called them a “crude violation of international law and the territorial sovereignty of Lithuania” and stated “we have to react to this”.
Decrying a “blatant breach” of international law, the Nausėda also called for a strengthening of European air defence. The establishment of what has been called a ‘European Drone Wall’ has been much discussed in recent weeks, shorthand for a unified European air-defence system capable of dealing with the low-intensity, asymmetric threats being put into the air by Russia in an apparent bid to test European resolve. (Read More)
