On September 16 the Lithuanian Air Force detected two violations of the airspace of the Republic of Lithunia committed by two IL-76 military cargo aircraft of the Russian Federation. The total of six IL-76s flew from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad on that day: flight routes of two of them diverged from the submitted flight plans. They flew into the Lithuanian airspace at 10.50pm and 11.10pm, and spent up to 2 minutes over Lithuania‘s territorial waters before leaving for Kaliningrad. The aircraft had made it several nautical miles deep into the airspace of Lithuania.

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From September 11 to 17 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled eight times to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

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Exercise RAPID TRIDENT 17 taking place on September 8-23 in Yavoriv Military Training Area in Ukraine involves approximately 1 800 personnel from 14 nations, including the Lithuania’s training team for Ukrainian soldiers and a team of LITPOLUKRBRIG staff officers.

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On September 18-23 soldiers of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group are training in Jonava, Kaišiadorys and Elektrėnai districts (from Kazokiškės to Gaižiūnai) as part of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf.  The exercise trains soldiers of the Kingdom of the Netherlands deployed in Rukla to conduct management and defensive operations.  

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On September 14 Colonel Volkan Ersun Acar replaced Lieutenant Colonel Necmedin Dalkiran as Turkey’s Defence Attaché in Lithuania at a ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence. Col N.Dalkiran was in the position since 2015.

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From now on users of unmanned aerial vehicles will only be able to fly them over military territories if the military permit them. On the other hand, doing so without a permission may cost them not only the UAV but also a fine. On the basis of the Order of the Minister of National Defence of 2017 September 6, all drones flown over military territories or critical load transported by the military outside of military territories without a permission to do so are treated as potential weapons likely to be used to harm military assets or personnel, and therefore military power can be used against them. In other words, the drone may be forcedly landed or neutralised, and development of counter-UAV capability is planned for that purpose.  

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