Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced on X that a drone which had entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets, describing the response as swift and responsible.
The incursion occurred shortly after midnight local time (21:00 GMT) and was first detected by alerts sent to mobile phones across Vilnius and the surrounding region, urging residents to seek shelter.
According to the Lithuanian national crisis management centre, the unmanned aerial vehicle is believed to have crossed the southern border from neighbouring Belarus, near the city of Kaunas, before flying over Lithuanian territory.
Italian pilots serving in the NATO Air Defence Mission participated in the interception, underscoring the collective defence commitment of the alliance.
The incident follows a series of military drone incursions across Europe since Russia launched its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine.
Poland has reported similar aviation operations, attributing them to Russian jet‑powered drones targeting Ukrainian territory, while NATO forces have previously shot down stray Ukrainian drones that drifted into the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia.
President Nausėda linked the episode to the broader security environment, stating that with Russia intensifying aggression against Ukraine, readiness to defend airspace is vital for the region.
Lithuania, together with its NATO allies, remains committed to Article 5 of the alliance, which treats an armed attack on one member as an attack on all.
The alert, the first of its kind in Lithuania since a September incident that did not trigger a threat level, prompted temporary disruptions to flights and rail services in the capital.
Authorities reiterated that the response demonstrated the effectiveness of NATO’s integrated air defence network in safeguarding member states against emerging aerial threats.
Source: BBC World News. View the original report.
Category: International
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