Turkey Sends AWACS Jet to Lithuania After Russia Incursion

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna shows photos of Russian jets during a Security Council meeting at UN Headquarters in New York on Sept. 22.Photographer: Lev Radin/Sipa/AP Photo

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By Selcan Hacaoglu and Milda Seputyte

September 24, 2025 at 7:56 PM UTC

Updated on

September 25, 2025 at 11:25 AM UTC

Turkey has deployed an advanced AWACS radar plane to Lithuania, signaling NATO is stepping up defenses in the Baltic region after Russian violations of its airspace.

Turkey sent one airborne warning and control system aircraft, which is capable of detecting low-flying drones and other objects that ground radars miss, to Lithuania on Monday, according to Turkish officials, who declined to be identified as the information is not public. The mission will continue through Thursday, they said.