NATO fighter jets have shot down a drone that entered Lithuania’s airspace overnight, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has said.
The drone reportedly entered southern Lithuania, near the country’s second-largest city, Kaunas, from neighbouring Belarus shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
Nausėda said in a post on X, “A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets.”
However, the origin of the drone has not been established, according to a spokesperson for Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre.
Drone alerts were issued across the capital, Vilnius, and surrounding areas early Tuesday, with residents receiving warnings on their phones to find a safe place and wait for an all-clear.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Defence said the country’s armed forces and Italian pilots serving under NATO’s Air Defence Mission responded swiftly to the incursion.
“With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region.
Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace,” Nausėda said.
Russia has not commented on the incident.
Lithuania shares a large part of its southern and eastern borders with Belarus, a close Russian ally.
The latest incident comes days after another drone was spotted in Lithuania on Sunday. Authorities said the object likely entered from Belarus, travelled across Lithuania and later entered Russian airspace. The incident did not trigger an air threat alert.
Drone incursions have become increasingly common in Europe since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Poland also said it carried out aviation operations in its airspace on Monday night because of Russian jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles carrying out strikes on Ukraine.
The Polish authorities said the measures were preventive and aimed at protecting the country’s airspace, particularly areas close to threatened regions.
In May, residents in Vilnius were ordered to take shelter following a drone alert, briefly disrupting flights and rail services.
NATO fighter jets have also been scrambled several times this year after stray Ukrainian drones crossed into the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia.
Ukraine has blamed such incidents on Russian electronic warfare, which it says can interfere with and alter the flight paths of Ukrainian drones.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia joined NATO in 2004.
They are covered by Article 5 of the alliance’s treaty, which states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all members.
