Von der Leyen Heads to Lithuania After Drone Incidents

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Lithuania on Tuesday following a series of drone airspace violations in the Baltic region, where authorities have already urged residents to seek shelter.

Von der Leyen will meet with the leaders of the Baltic states to coordinate next steps. Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defence, will also attend. Talks are expected to focus on strengthening common defense capabilities and bolstering protection of the EU's eastern flank.

Last week, Lithuania issued an air raid alert after a drone appeared near the border with Belarus. A NATO mission to protect Baltic airspace has also been activated.

Earlier, two Ukrainian drones bound for Russia landed in Latvia, triggering a political crisis and the collapse of the ruling coalition. Last week, Estonia shot down a drone in its airspace.

"Russia’s public threats against our Baltic States are completely unacceptable", von der Leyen said. The Baltic states have also accused Moscow of running a disinformation campaign and attempting to disrupt relations between Ukraine and its European allies.

(politico, bak)