NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed. The incident marks the first time a NATO aircraft has intercepted a drone within Lithuanian territory, according to the BBC.
Authorities believe the drone crossed into southern Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus shortly after midnight on Tuesday, entering near Kaunas, the country’s second-largest city. Nausėda wrote on X that NATO fighter jets destroyed the drone soon after it breached Lithuanian airspace. A spokesperson for Lithuania’s national crisis management centre said the drone’s origins remain undetermined.
Drone alerts sounded across Vilnius and the surrounding region earlier on Tuesday, with residents told to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lithuania’s Ministry of Defence commented that national armed forces and Italian pilots serving under NATO’s Air Defence Mission responded swiftly.
Nausėda added: “With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace.” Moscow has not commented on the incident.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised the response, commenting that NATO had again demonstrated its readiness to protect member states’ airspace. Investigators will examine the scattered drone debris to establish its origin, whether it carried weapons and whether the incursion was deliberate.
Lithuania shares an extensive border with Belarus, a close Russian ally, and has emerged as a firm supporter of Ukraine. Drone incursions have grown more frequent across Europe since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Poland reported similar “aviation operations” on Monday night, citing Russian drone activity near its border. NATO jets have previously intercepted stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia and Latvia this year, incidents Ukraine attributes to Russian electronic warfare disrupting flight paths.
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