On Sunday morning 2026-10-18 around 07:00 UTC, an unidentified drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Poland, triggering a red air threat warning in the Panevėžys and Šiauliai counties which lasted about one hour. The drone crashed in Juodžionių village, Pasvalys District Municipality, damaging a civilian vehicle but causing no casualties. The drone is suspected to have carried explosives. The government convened a National Security Commission meeting to discuss the incident. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda met with military and intelligence leaders following the event. The State Defence Council is scheduled to meet next week to evaluate warning procedures, especially concerns about the lack of warnings to southern Lithuania residents. The head of the National Crisis Management Centre indicated the possibility that Russian electronic warfare measures diverted the drone's course, originally launched from Ukraine targeting Russian assets, through Lithuanian airspace. Russian disinformation narratives falsely claiming Lithuania allows attacks on Russia from its airspace are spreading. Internal security authorities stressed that air raid shelters must be opened immediately upon red air threat declaration; confusion over their opening after the drone warning was noted. Poland's Defence Ministry denied the drone was launched from its territory. Ukraine apologized for the incident.

On Sunday morning 2026-10-18 around 07:00 UTC, an unidentified drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Poland, triggering a red air threat warning in the Panevėžys and Šiauliai counties which lasted about one hour. The drone crashed in Juodžionių village, Pasvalys District Municipality, damaging a civilian vehicle but causing no casualties. The drone is suspected to have carried explosives. The government convened a National Security Commission meeting to discuss the incident. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda met with military and intelligence leaders following the event. The State Defence Council is scheduled to meet next week to evaluate warning procedures, especially concerns about the lack of warnings to southern Lithuania residents. The head of the National Crisis Management Centre indicated the possibility that Russian electronic warfare measures diverted the drone's course, originally launched from Ukraine targeting Russian assets, through Lithuanian airspace. Russian disinformation narratives falsely claiming Lithuania allows attacks on Russia from its airspace are spreading. Internal security authorities stressed that air raid shelters must be opened immediately upon red air threat declaration; confusion over their opening after the drone warning was noted. Poland's Defence Ministry denied the drone was launched from its territory. Ukraine apologized for the incident.