Ahmed Kamel – NATO scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after two Russian military aircraft briefly violated Lithuanian airspace, hours before President Vladimir Putin warned of a “serious and overwhelming” response if Russia is attacked with U.S. Tomahawk missiles.
According to Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence, the two planes an Su-series fighter and an Il-78 refueling tanker entered Lithuanian airspace for roughly 18 seconds, penetrating about 700 meters before turning back toward Kaliningrad. Spanish F-18s assigned to NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission were launched in response.
“Our forces acted quickly with NATO jets on patrol. Lithuania remains strong and ready, every inch of our country is protected,” the ministry said in a statement.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda condemned the incursion, calling it “a cruel violation of international law and the territorial sovereignty of Lithuania.” He added that his government would raise the issue within NATO, saying: “We have to react firmly.”
Putin’s Warning Over Tomahawks and Trump’s Sanctions
The airspace breach came just as Vladimir Putin issued his sternest warning yet to Washington since President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, in response to Moscow’s continued bombardment of Ukraine.
“If Russia is attacked with Tomahawk missiles, the response will be very serious, if not overwhelming,” Putin said during a press briefing in Moscow, calling the new U.S. measures an “unfriendly act” that “does not strengthen Russia–U.S. relations, which had only just begun to recover.”
Putin said the sanctions would “have consequences” but insisted they would not significantly harm Russia’s economy. He nonetheless vowed to maintain “dialogue” with Trump, describing talks as preferable to confrontation.
The U.S. leader announced the sanctions on Wednesday, the first punitive measures against Russia since returning to office, after expressing frustration with Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump has so far not ruled out providing Ukraine with Tomahawk cruise missiles, a request President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly made, though he appeared hesitant in remarks last week after talks in Washington.
Escalating Strikes and Retaliation
Hours before Putin’s remarks, Ukraine struck deep inside Russian territory, targeting one of the country’s largest oil refineries in Ryazan with a swarm of drones. The attack set parts of the complex ablaze, according to regional governor Pavel Malkov, who said 14 UAVs were shot down by air defenses but debris caused a fire at the site.
“Emergency services are working at the scene,” Malkov wrote on Telegram, imposing a ban on sharing images from the area.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military confirmed earlier in the week that British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles were used in a strike against a major gunpowder and explosives plant inside Russia a facility Kyiv described as “critical to the enemy’s ammunition production.” Images posted online showed large flames billowing from the site, though Russia has not confirmed the extent of the damage.
Tensions Mount Across Europe
Thursday’s events highlight growing instability across Europe’s eastern flank as the war in Ukraine drags into its fourth year.
While Trump has sought to revive dialogue with Moscow, the latest round of sanctions coupled with Putin’s warning signals that relations between Washington and the Kremlin remain fraught.
NATO has stepped up surveillance missions over the Baltic region amid what it calls “increasingly reckless” Russian air activity near alliance borders. Lithuanian officials said this week’s airspace violation was one of several recorded in recent months.
European diplomats fear that with Russia’s rhetoric intensifying and U.S. weapons transfers under debate, even a limited escalation whether through miscalculation or provocation could trigger a broader confrontation between Moscow and the West.
