NATO Scrambles Jets as Drones Violate Baltic Airspace

A series of drone incursions across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in May 2026 has triggered emergency alerts, government collapse, and heightened military readiness on NATO's eastern flank. On May 20, Lithuania issued a red alert and evacuated its parliament, moving President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene to safe houses after drones were detected near the Belarusian border. The incident forced the closure of Vilnius Airport and prompted NATO to scramble fighter jets from Estonia, though the aircraft failed to locate the object.

The instability extended to Estonia, where a Romanian F-16 shot down a Ukrainian drone on May 19, and Latvia, where incursions hit fuel tanks and a power plant chimney. These security failures contributed to a political crisis in Latvia, resulting in the resignations of Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and Defense Minister Andris Spruds. On May 21, Latvia detected further drone activity from Belarus, again prompting NATO jet scrambles.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte dismissed Russian claims that the Baltic states are hosting Ukrainian military operations. Budrys alleged that Russia is deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones into NATO airspace using electronic warfare to sow chaos. Conversely, the Russian government and Belarus accused the Baltic states of allowing Ukraine to launch strikes. Belarus summoned a Lithuanian diplomat on May 21, claiming a Ukrainian drone was launched from Lithuanian territory. Meanwhile, Russia escalated tensions by conducting joint nuclear drills with Belarus and placing nuclear weapons units on high combat readiness.