Lucrezia Ciotti Tensions are rising in the Baltic skies: two Russian military jets have violated Lithuanian airspace, prompting the emergency deployment of two Italian fighter jets involved in the NATO mission. The incident comes as Giorgia Meloni, speaking from Oslo, urged Europe to exercise caution and avoid further escalation with Moscow.
Russian jets in the skies over Lithuania, two Italian Eurofighters take off
Two Italian Air Force F-2000 Eurofighters scrambled from Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania, after two Russian warplanes violated the country's airspace . The operation took place in the late afternoon of September 17 as part of NATO 's mission to monitor and defend the Alliance's eastern flank.
The fighters belong to the Baltic Thunder III Air Task Force , and the operation was coordinated by the Combined Air Operation Centre in Uedem, Germany. The Italian aircraft intercepted the Russian jets and escorted them out of Alliance airspace.
The incident follows a series of alerts recorded in recent days in the Baltic area, where the Italian mission is engaged in airspace control.
On September 15, the same Eurofighters responded to a drone that had entered Lithuanian skies, which was subsequently neutralized according to NATO procedures. The Italian presence is part of the Baltic Air Policing mission , through which the Alliance ensures surveillance of the airspace of the Baltic republics.
Russian jets over Lithuania, Italian fighters take off. Meloni: "We mustn't react."
Giorgia Meloni commented on the latest incursion during her official visit to Oslo, where she met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store. The Prime Minister linked the incident to the ongoing tensions with Moscow, arguing that Russia's recent actions constitute " provocations " and asserting that Vladimir Putin would have an interest in escalating the situation to divert attention from the war in Ukraine. " We must not react to provocations ," Meloni stated, believing that an escalation would ultimately benefit Russia more than Europe.
From Oslo, the Prime Minister also revived the idea of appointing a European envoy for Ukraine , with the aim of allowing EU countries to present a more coordinated position in the negotiations. Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was also mentioned as a possible candidate, but Palazzo Chigi clarified that this was not an endorsement. Energy, defense, critical raw materials, shipbuilding, space, and technological cooperation were also at the center of the Italian-Norwegian meeting : Oslo supplies Italy with approximately 10% of its gas, and the two governments aim to strengthen a partnership Meloni described as "all-round solid."