Key facts
- A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuania shortly after midnight on Tuesday.
- The drone likely entered from Belarus.
- The drone was shot down near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania.
- NATO Baltic Air Defence mission jets have patrolled the skies of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia since 2004.
- NATO jets previously shot down stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia in May, and Latvia in June and August.
A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuania shortly after midnight on Tuesday, according to the Lithuanian national crisis management center. The drone, which likely entered from Belarus, was intercepted near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania, close to Kaunas, the country's second-largest city. The origin of the drone is still under investigation.
A drone alert had been issued earlier in the capital, Vilnius, and the surrounding region. NATO fighter jets participating in the Baltic Air Defence mission have been patrolling the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia since the Baltic countries joined the alliance in 2004. These jets have previously intercepted stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia in May and over Latvia in June and August.
The straying of military drones into the airspace of Russia's neighbors has raised concerns about the potential spillover of Russia's war in Ukraine across NATO borders. Ukraine has increased its long-range drone attacks on Russia, including in the Baltic Sea area, and several Ukrainian military drones have previously strayed into the airspace of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Ukraine has attributed these incidents to Russia's use of electromagnetic warfare to affect the drones' paths.