A Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 tanker aircraft entered Lithuania in the area of the town of Kibartai (bordering the eastern part of the Kaliningrad region).
As reported by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, they flew about 700 meters and returned to Russia, which took 18 seconds. In response, two Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon jets from the NATO air policing mission were immediately scrambled. «Such an incident once again shows the reality in our region — we have to constantly strengthen our defensive capabilities,» noted the Lithuanian military.
The Russian Ministry of Defense denies that the aircraft violated Lithuania's airspace, stating that they were conducting scheduled training flights: «The flights were conducted in strict accordance with the Rules of Airspace Use over the territory of the Russian Federation, the flight route was not deviated from, and no borders of other states were violated, as confirmed by objective control means.»