Nato jets down drone that entered Lithuanian airspace

What the report says

Nato fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, according to statements from Lithuania’s president and defence authorities. BBC World News reported that the object was detected after midnight on Tuesday, with officials saying it likely came into southern Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus, near the city of Kaunas. The drone’s origin has not yet been confirmed.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said in a post on X that the drone was destroyed by Nato aircraft. Lithuania’s ministry of defence said its armed forces and Italian pilots taking part in the Nato Air Defence Mission responded quickly and responsibly. Drone alerts were also sounded in Vilnius and surrounding areas earlier in the day.

The incident comes amid heightened concern in the region over drone activity linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. BBC World News noted that Lithuania shares a long border with Belarus, a close ally of Moscow, and that Moscow had not commented on the latest event. Officials in Lithuania have previously reported drone sightings and air alert episodes, while other Nato countries in the Baltic region have also faced occasional airspace violations or drone incursions.

The latest episode matters because it underscores the continuing strain on Nato air defence along the alliance’s eastern flank and the risk that fast-moving aerial incidents could widen tensions near the border with Belarus and Russia.