Key facts
- An Italian NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace.
- The drone likely entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus.
- Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated the drone most probably came from Russia.
- Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the drone carried an explosive.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian drones attacked Moldovan airspace twice while he was in transit.
An Italian fighter jet on a NATO mission shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace that "most probably" came from Russia, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated. The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus after midnight and was shot down near the southern village of Pratkunai, carrying an explosive, according to Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed the incident, which occurred amid heightened tensions and frequent drone incursions along NATO's eastern borders. Italian Eurofighter Typhoons, deployed as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission, were scrambled to intercept and destroy the drone. Lithuanian authorities issued an air danger warning and temporarily suspended traffic at Vilnius Airport.
Recent drone incidents have affected Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, with some linked to Ukraine's attacks on Russian ports. Ukrainian officials have stated that some of their drones have been diverted by Russian electronic warfare.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russian drones attacked Moldovan airspace twice while he was in transit in the country. He told CBS that the incidents occurred when his presidential jet was at Chisinau airport. On September 9, a Moldovan government spokesperson said Zelenskiy's departure was delayed due to a drone alert, and two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace that day. A second incident occurred on September 14, when two Russian drones entered Moldovan airspace for about 10 minutes each.