Lithuania ready to shoot down jets violating its airspace
Photo: Lithuania does not rule out strikes on aircraft violating its airspace (Getty Images)
Lithuania considers it appropriate to shoot down enemy fighter jets in its own airspace, but stresses that it is important to manage the escalation so as not to exacerbate the crisis, LRT reports.
Lithuanian National Security Advisor Deividas Matulionis said that, if necessary, the country should shoot down aircraft that violate its airspace.
According to him, such actions are particularly relevant after last week's incident, when three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated the airspace of Estonia, a NATO member.
Matulionis stressed that the issue of shooting down objects that have violated airspace is a matter of national competence. At the same time, he added that NATO could take its own measures if a threat is detected.
"But the process itself is not as simple as we imagine - if a plane flies in, missiles are immediately fired at it. We must also remember this. It may be unpopular in Lithuania, but managing escalation is also an important matter," the presidential adviser noted.
During yesterday's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump made a statement about Russian aircraft violating NATO airspace. According to him, Alliance countries should shoot down Russian fighter jets.
Russia's provocations
On September 10, Russian drones launched a massive attack on Ukraine, and during this attack, about 20 drones flew into Polish territory. In response, the country scrambled its aircraft and shot down enemy targets over its territory for the first time.
On September 19, Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace near Tallinn. They remained in the country's airspace for about 12 minutes.
On the evening of September 22, several unknown drones violated Danish airspace, causing Copenhagen Airport to suspend operations for nearly 4 hours.
Also, on the night of September 23, Gardermoen Airport in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, was shut down. The reason was also the detection of several drones.
