NATO jet shoots down suspected Russian drone over Lithuania

An Italian fighter jet operating under NATO command shot down a suspected Russian drone over Lithuanian territory after the device crossed into the country from Belarus, Lithuania’s national crisis management centre said. The interception occurred near the small settlement of Pratkunai, just north of Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city.

Lithuania’s Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on social media that the drone was carrying an explosive. Authorities recovered debris from the device and are examining it to determine whether it originated in Russia or another country. After visiting the scene, Kaunas said the action underscored the “value of the Atlantic alliance” and demonstrated what it means to be an ally.

European and regional officials framed the incident as part of a pattern of provocations. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as one element of “aggression and provocation” directed at Europe, while German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul blamed Russia and said NATO members would not be intimidated. Russian officials did not immediately comment on the shoot-down.

The interception came amid escalating incidents in the region. On Monday, Russia reportedly fired flares at a Danish military helicopter that had been monitoring a Russian warship in the Baltic Sea. Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz warned that recent actions by Russia threaten Europe’s security. The events follow a series of Russian drone strikes over the previous days that prompted NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to pledge increased support for Ukraine; one of those strikes hit a train close to the Polish border minutes after a delegation from the UK, US and Europe passed through that station. Kaunas cautioned that the Russia-Ukraine war has already spread beyond Ukraine’s borders and said such incidents are likely to continue unless there is a negotiated settlement, adding that “Putin does not want” a peaceful resolution.