Lithuania has evacuation plans amid Russian threats, PM says

September 22, 2026 at 06:04 AM2 min

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Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said the country has evacuation plans for various scenarios, including moving elderly citizens from cities, amid threats from Russia. He told the BBC that Lithuania feels 'constantly threatened' by Russia, partly due to drones entering its airspace. Sinkevičius said Lithuania 'will fight back' if attacked, even as he acknowledged the need for a UK defence mindset shift.

Key Facts

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius told the BBC that Lithuania has evacuation plans for a 'variety of scenarios', including moving elderly citizens out of cities smoothly.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace came from the direction of Belarus, a key Russian ally.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Lithuanian and Italian forces demonstrated NATO's readiness to protect its airspace after the drone incident.
Residents of Vilnius were forced to take shelter in May after a drone alert briefly grounded flights and rail travel.

Evacuation Plans

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius told BBC Newsnight that Lithuania has made evacuation plans in the face of threats from Russia. He said the plans cover a 'variety of scenarios' and cited the example of getting elderly citizens out of cities 'smoothly' and avoiding traffic jams. Sinkevičius said not all scenarios are discussed publicly, but Lithuania faces 'concrete threats' that are 'a true reality' for the country. He added that Lithuania 'will not surrender' if attacked and 'will fight back... we will engage'.

Drone Incursion

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told BBC Newshour that a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace came from the direction of Belarus. The origins of the drone have not been confirmed, and Moscow did not comment on the incident. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the swift actions of Lithuanian and Italian forces demonstrated NATO's readiness to protect its airspace. Military drone incursions have become increasingly common across Europe since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

Regional Security Context

Residents of Vilnius were forced to take shelter in May after a drone alert was triggered, briefly grounding flights and rail travel. NATO jets have scrambled multiple times this year to shoot down stray Ukrainian drones that crossed into Estonia and Latvia. Ukraine has blamed the stray drones on Russian electronic warfare designed to change the flight paths of Ukrainian drones. Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia joined NATO in 2004, becoming signatories to Article 5, which states that an armed attack against one member is an attack against all.