Two Russian Military Aircraft Briefly Entered NATO Airspace Over Lithuania

Last month, Russian military assets entered Polish and Estonian airspace in two separate incidents that triggered NATO responses.

In this photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on July 25, 2024, An H-6K long-range bomber of the Chinese air force, upper left, is seen escorted by a Su-30 fighter of the Russian air force during a joint Russia-China air patrol. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Two Russian military aircraft—an Su-30 fighter and an Il-78 refueling tanker—entered NATO member Lithuania’s airspace on Oct. 23 for roughly 18 seconds, according to Lithuania’s military.

The military said the two aircraft were potentially on a refueling training mission when they flew more than 2,000 feet into Lithuanian airspace from the Kaliningrad region at roughly 15:00 GMT.