Lithuania Has Strengthened Its Air Defense Following A Warning From U.S. Intelligence
- 24.08.2026, 16:45
A NASAMS system has been deployed in the Vilnius area.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces have strengthened airspace defense in the Vilnius area by deploying the NASAMS medium-range air defense missile system, according to LRT.
The decision was made following reports of possible Russian hybrid operations against the Baltic states and Poland. In August, Bloomberg, citing a European official, reported that the CIA had warned allies about signs that Russian intelligence services were preparing operations. Among the possible scenarios, the agency’s sources cited acts of sabotage against infrastructure facilities and “false flag” attacks.
The commander of the Lithuanian Army Raimundas Vaišnoras told BNS that the approaches to the capital are now protected at a greater range. According to him, NASAMS provides a combination of speed, range, and precision in engaging targets. The system deployed near Vilnius has replaced the short-range RBS-70 system. Lithuania has two NASAMS batteries. Another is scheduled to be delivered to the country in 2028.
Lithuania has also strengthened security at a number of critical infrastructure facilities. Since June, the country’s armed forces have been helping to protect the liquefied natural gas terminal in Klaipėda, as well as energy and strategic facilities. According to Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, up to 30 military personnel may be assigned to guard the most critical facilities. “The threat level has not decreased since June 11; it has remained unchanged, but we are continuing our preparations as a precaution,” the minister said.
The strengthening of air defense comes amid increasingly frequent incidents involving drones in the airspace of NATO’s eastern member states. The most recent such incident was recorded in Lithuania in May, and last week a drone was shot down in Latvia by a NATO fighter jet. Earlier, Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stated that Lithuanian intelligence has information suggesting Russia may be using captured Ukrainian drones to attack critical infrastructure in the Baltic states.
Moscow rejects accusations of planning attacks on NATO countries. Russian authorities had previously stated that the airspace of the Baltic states could be used for attacks originating from Russia. “Russia will launch retaliatory strikes against European countries from whose territory drones are launched,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in late June. In May, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service claimed that military personnel from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces had already been deployed to five bases in Latvia—“Adazi,” “Sēlija,” “Lielvārde,” “Daugavpils,” and “Jēkabpils”—already host personnel from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces.