NATO fighter jets intercept drone over Lithuania, officials say
Lithuanian authorities said a drone that entered the country's airspace from Belarus was shot down by NATO jets, highlighting regional security concerns amid the war in Ukraine.
A drone that entered Lithuanian airspace from the direction of Belarus was intercepted and destroyed by NATO fighter jets in the early hours of Tuesday, President Gitanas Nausėda said. He thanked the alliance for its "swift response" and noted that readiness is essential as Russia intensifies its aggression against Ukraine.
Lithuanian national radio LRT reported that preliminary data from the National Crisis Management Center indicated the unmanned aircraft was heading west before being shot down, and it fell in a rural area near Lake Kaunas in central Lithuania. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said the NATO action sent "a clear message that NATO stands vigilant, committed, and ready."
Lithuania, which borders Russia's Kaliningrad enclave and Belarus, has experienced frequent drone incursions since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, a pattern also observed in neighboring NATO members Latvia and Estonia.