NATO Jets Shoot Down Drone Violating Lithuanian Airspace
NATO fighter jets destroyed a drone that crossed into Lithuanian airspace near Kaunas from neighboring Belarus early Tuesday morning.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- NATO fighter jets shot down a drone violating Lithuanian airspace past midnight on Tuesday
- The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed the border from Belarus near the country's second-largest city Kaunas
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed the destruction of the drone via a statement on X
- The national crisis management center stated that the exact origin of the drone remains undetermined
Authorities reported that an unidentified drone crossed into southern Lithuania from neighboring Belarus shortly after midnight on Tuesday, heading towards the area near Kaunas, the nation's second-largest city. The incident prompted immediate defensive action within the region.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda addressed the breach in a statement published on X, confirming that a drone which had just breached Lithuanian airspace was successfully destroyed by NATO fighter jets.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Drone alert sirens echoed across the capital city of Vilnius and surrounding districts earlier on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Lithuanian national crisis management center noted that the precise origin of the drone has yet to be ascertained, and Moscow has not issued any comments regarding the incident.
Incursions by military drones have surged across Europe since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia joined NATO back in 2004, binding themselves to Article 5 which dictates that an armed assault against any single member state is treated as an attack against the entire alliance.
Back in May, residents in the Lithuanian capital were forced to seek shelter across Vilnius following a drone alert, which temporarily halted local flights and rail operations. NATO jets have repeatedly scrambled this year to intercept stray drones crossing into Baltic nations like Estonia and Latvia, incidents which Kyiv attributes to Russian electronic warfare systems.
Source: BBC World
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