Shot down over Lithuania

Nato fighter pilots destroyed a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace shortly after midnight on Tuesday. President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed the kill on X.

“A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets.”

It came from Belarus

Authorities say the drone likely crossed into southern Lithuania near Kaunas, the country's second-largest city. Its origin is still unconfirmed, and Moscow has said nothing.

Alerts across Vilnius

Drone warnings sounded in the capital and the surrounding region. Lithuania's defence ministry credited its armed forces and Italian pilots in Nato's air defence mission with a swift response.

“showed a swift and responsible response”

Not the first this week

Drone sightings were reported on Sunday, when an object likely entered from Belarus, crossed the country and passed into Russian airspace. That one triggered no air threat alerts.

Poland scrambled too

Warsaw reported aviation operations on Monday night over Russian jet-powered drones striking Ukraine, calling the flights preventive and aimed at protecting airspace near threatened regions.

“securing airspace and its protection”

Article 5 in the background

Nato jets have repeatedly scrambled over stray Ukrainian drones in Estonia and Latvia, which Kyiv blames on Russian jamming. All three Baltic states joined Nato in 2004.

“an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against all members”