WorldLithuania said that a perceived drone sighting in its airspace earlier on Sunday that prompted authorities to close Vilnius airport and NATO to summon at least one fighter jet turned out to be a flock of birds.Countries along NATO's eastern edge have reported a series of drones linked to Russia-Ukraine warThomson Reuters · Posted: Sep 13, 2026 8:16 AM EDT | Last Updated: 32 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Cars are shown waiting in front of the arrivals terminal at Vilnius Ciurlionis International Airport in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, in December 2025. (Janis Laizans/Reuters)Lithuania said that a perceived drone sighting in its airspace earlier on Sunday that prompted authorities to close Vilnius airport and NATO to summon at least one fighter jet turned out to be a flock of birds.The air alert was lifted and the airport reopened within 38 minutes, after the NATO jet made a visual identification, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre said."On initial radar readings, marks left by birds and drones can be similar," it added in a statement. Could an explosive drone at a German airport signal a growing Russian threat to NATO?A jet had been summoned from Siauliai in northern Lithuania, the centre said, where the Italian air force is currently based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.Military drones straying into the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are stoking concerns that the war in Ukraine is spilling over into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's northern borders with Russia.The Vilnius marathon, which was taking place in the capital, was not interrupted, the organizers told Reuters.In August, German investigators said a Leipzig/Halle Airport employee found a drone carrying an unknown explosive device in the security area of the cargo operations zone.WATCH | How NATO is tracking airspace threats:How NATO is tracking airspace threats over eastern EuropeNovember 7, 2025|Duration 4:31NATO is on the lookout for airspace threats over eastern Europe as suspicious drone sightings continue to shut down airports. For The National, CBC’s Briar Stewart gets a closer look at the Operation Eastern Sentry mission and what it's watching for in the skies