European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to visit Lithuania after a series of drone violations that prompted citizens to seek refuge in basements and bomb shelters.
Von der Leyen is anticipated to gather with leaders from the Baltic nations to facilitate coordinated efforts in response, and Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius is set to visit Lithuania as well.
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In addition to demonstrating "solidarity with the Baltic states," the visit will emphasize strengthening collective defense capabilities through the Commission’s major funding and planning initiatives.
Lithuania announced an air alert after a rogue drone was spotted near its border with Belarus, prompting the activation of NATO's Baltic air-policing mission.
The event occurred following two Ukrainian drones, meant for Russia, landing on a vacant oil storage site in Latvia earlier this month — triggering a crisis that resulted in the fall of the ruling coalition. Last week, a NATO aircraft brought down a drone over Estonian airspace.
The three Baltic nations have cautioned that Moscow aims to exploit the events to create a rift between Ukraine and its EU partners — releasing a collective statement in which they denounced "Russia’s overt disinformation efforts and its made-up allegations following the airspace breaches, which Russia insensitively employs to cover its military shortcomings."
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In February, the EU initiated a strategy to strengthen its frontline countries due to worries that Russia's conflict in Ukraine and hybrid methods may harm local economies.
The European Commission is also developing plans to assist countries in enhancing their air defense capabilities through collaborative procurement and development initiatives.
A day after Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, was brought to a standstill due to a drone incursion—following at least six similar incidents in three weeks across the region—Lithuania's defence minister, Robertas Kaunas, emphasized that Europe needs to be ready for the strong likelihood of more occurrences.
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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the alliance’s response to various drone incidents over the past few days, stating on Wednesday in Brussels that they were addressed with “a calm, decisive and proportionate response.”
Even though the alleged incursion lasted about one hour, it marked the first significant alarm that prompted residents and political officials in a European Union and NATO capital to hurry to shelters since Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine in February 2022.