Lithuania draws up mass evacuation plans and vows to 'fight back' as Russian drone incursions intensify

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026.

Lithuania's Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius has warned that his people feel "constantly threatened" by Russia, disclosing that the country has drawn up evacuation plans for elderly residents of cities across several attack scenarios. When a drone crossed from Belarus into southern Lithuania last week, NATO jets were launched and emergency alerts went out across the country. Sinkevicius said in a BBC interview that if his country came under attack, "we will fight back" and "we will engage," and he called on Britain to make its own "shift in the mindset" on defence.

Trump deployed a fresh group of US troops to Lithuania, the country's president confirmed on Tuesday.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda thanked Italian NATO pilots for their swift response to last week's drone incursion, warning that "such readiness is vital for our region."

Sinkevicius said Lithuania faces "concrete threats" that are "a true reality for us," adding that not all evacuation scenarios are being discussed publicly.