Baltic Presidents Urge Nato Air Defence After 5 Days of Drone Incursions
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 21
Baltic Presidents Urge Nato Air Defence After 5 Days of Drone Incursions
9 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 21
A joint statement from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania late Thursday urged Nato to upgrade Baltic air policing into a comprehensive air-defence mission after repeated drone breaches this week.
The push followed a sharp rise in incursions linked to Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian targets, with drones apparently veering off course or being redirected by Russian jamming and electronic warfare.
Tuesday brought a Nato shootdown over Estonia, while Wednesday's alert in Lithuania shut Vilnius Airport, halted city traffic and sent leaders and residents into shelters; fresh detections in Lithuania and Latvia on Thursday again scrambled jets.
The incidents have already deepened regional strain: Latvia's government fell last week over its response, Kyiv apologized while blaming Russian interference, and Moscow accused the Baltics of aiding attacks through their airspace.
EU leaders backed the Baltic states' denials and blamed Russia and Belarus for endangering Nato's eastern flank, underscoring how spillover from the war is widening security risks beyond Ukraine.
A government collapsed over stray drones. Are Baltic states the first casualties of a new hybrid warfare era?
Is Russia turning Ukraine's drone advantage into a weapon to destabilize NATO's eastern flank?
With cheap drones overwhelming costly defenses, is the era of traditional air superiority ending?
Since March 2026, the Baltic region has seen a sharp rise in drone incursions, signaling a new phase of hybrid threats that combine physical incidents with intense information warfare. This escalation, especially in May, has drawn strong reactions from regional leaders and exposed the complex challenges facing NATO’s eastern flank. Notable incidents, such as drones entering Lithuanian airspace from Latvia, have highlighted the uncertainty and confusion these events create. The situation underscores how hybrid threats are evolving, forcing NATO and Baltic states to adapt quickly to protect their airspace and maintain regional stability.