European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Lithuania tomorrow to discuss recent drone activity in Baltic airspace, Operative Information Center-OMM reports citing Politico.
According to the publication, the head of the European Commission will meet with Baltic leaders during her visit to coordinate response measures to recent drone incidents in their airspace. The discussions are also expected to focus on strengthening joint defense capabilities under the European Commission's flagship funding and planning programs.
On May 20, an air raid warning was issued in eastern Lithuania and the capital, Vilnius, due to a drone threat, prompting the evacuation of the country's leadership to shelters. Train and air traffic were temporarily suspended, major shopping centers were closed, and hospitals and schools were evacuated during the alert, which lasted approximately two hours.
The Baltic states—Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia—have repeatedly called for enhanced air defense and increased NATO and European Union support to secure their eastern borders. This upcoming visit underscores the growing concern within the EU regarding airspace security and hybrid threats along its eastern flank.
