Türkiye sends AWACS plane to Lithuania after Russian airspace violations
Türkiye has temporarily deployed an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to Lithuania under NATO security measures, the Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday, following a series of Russian drone incursions into allied airspace.
The deployment, running from September 22–25, comes as Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark and Poland all reported airspace violations by Russian drones or fighter jets in recent weeks, prompting NATO to step up defence on its eastern flank, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
“Within the scope of NATO Assurance Measures, our AWACS aircraft is carrying out missions in Lithuanian airspace,” the ministry said in its weekly press release.
AWACS planes are able to detect low-flying drones and other aircraft that ground-based radars may miss.
Poland has already shot down several drones, while Lithuania’s parliament this week granted the armed forces authority to down any unmanned aircraft crossing its borders.
Western officials say Moscow is using these incursions to test NATO’s readiness and resolve. Estonia and Poland have formally asked the alliance to hold Article 4 consultations, which allow members to confer whenever a nation’s territory or security is threatened.
Türkiye, NATO’s second-largest army, has sought to balance its relationship with Moscow. While it condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and supplied Kyiv with arms, it has stopped short of joining Western sanctions, citing its role as a mediator with both sides.
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