NATO fighter jets have shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, in the latest security incident involving an unmanned aircraft along Europe’s eastern flank as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda confirmed the incident in a post on X on Tuesday, saying: “A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets.”
He added: “With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region.”
Preliminary information from Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre indicated that the drone entered the country from neighbouring Belarus and was travelling west before it was intercepted near the village of Pratkunai, close to Kaunas, the country’s second-largest city, according to Lithuanian national broadcaster LRT.
Authorities had earlier issued a drone warning for Vilnius and the surrounding area as security forces responded to the threat.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys described the interception as evidence of NATO’s collective preparedness. “This is best example of Allied unity and resolve in action,” he said in a post on X, adding that the response sends “a clear message that NATO stands vigilant, committed, and ready”.
The latest incident adds to a growing list of drone-related security alerts reported by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, three NATO members bordering Russia. The Baltic states have remained particularly vigilant since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
NATO aircraft previously intercepted stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia in May, marking the first such foreign-drone interception in Baltic airspace since the beginning of the war. Similar incidents involving drones were subsequently reported over Latvia in June and August.
Lithuania has also been taking steps to strengthen its broader security posture. In early July, Nauseda said he wanted the country to participate in Western nuclear deterrence efforts aimed at countering Russia. Lithuania has since begun procedures to remove a constitutional restriction on the storage of nuclear weapons on its territory.
Elsewhere in the region, Poland said it had begun “aviation operations” over its airspace in response to what it described as Russian jet-powered unmanned aircraft carrying out attacks against targets in Ukraine.
Polish authorities said the measures were “of a preventive nature” and intended to protect the country’s airspace, particularly areas close to regions facing threats.
The latest developments came as the war continued to raise concerns about the possibility of further escalation beyond Ukraine’s borders. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to take “de-escalatory steps” if Russia was willing to do the same, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Moscow and Kyiv had agreed to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure.
