Lithuania summoned a Russian diplomat in protest after two Russian planes entered its airspace on Thursday, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said.
A Sukhoi SU-30 fighter and an IL-78 tanker from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad passed through Lithuanian airspace for 700 metres (2,300ft) before leaving it 18 seconds later, probably during aerial refuelling training, according to a short statement from the Nato member country’s military.
Later on Thursday, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said it had summoned the charge d’affaires from the Russian embassy and issued a “strong protest”.
Vilnius urged Russia to “immediately explain” the reasons for the violation of its airspace and to take “all necessary measures to prevent such incidents from happening again in the future”, the statement said.
“This incident once again shows that Russia is behaving like a terrorist state, disregarding international law and the security of neighbouring countries,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Facebook.
“Lithuania is safe. Together with our allies, we look after and will defend every centimetre of our country,” she said.
This shows that vigilance is required at all times, that Russia is in no way calming down or retreating