A drone alert blasted on my phone – we had to take shelter. This is the new reality on Nato’s eastern flank
In Lithuania, and throughout the Baltic, we have lived for years with Russian hostility – but the tech now means that London, Berlin and Paris are just as vulnerable
TL;DR
- A drone alert in Vilnius forced an emergency shelter-in-place, moving a geopolitical talk to a library cellar.
- The incident, likely from a diverted Ukrainian drone, highlights the fear and ambiguity Russia can exploit on NATO's eastern flank.
- Drones have exploded in Latvia and been shot down over Estonia, and a Russian-made drone hit an apartment block in Romania.
- Russia is increasing pressure due to Ukraine's effective drone campaigns and mounting Russian losses.
- Drone threats are not limited to eastern borders and should concern major Western cities as well.
- The Baltics have experienced increased Russian intimidation, including cyber-attacks and GPS spoofing.
- Lithuania is significantly increasing defense spending and has seen growth in its civic defense organization and economy.
- NATO should evolve Baltic air policing into a genuine air defence mission to detect, track, and neutralize threats.
- Sharing the Baltics' practical experience of living under pressure offers a lesson for the rest of the West.