Nato jets shoot down drone that flew into Lithuanian airspace

Key Points:

• A drone likely entered southern Lithuania near Kaunas from Belarus shortly after midnight on Tuesday and was destroyed by NATO fighter jets, according to Lithuanian authorities and President Gitanas Nausėda.
• The origin of the drone remains undetermined, with Lithuanian armed forces and Italian NATO pilots responding swiftly to the incursion, as stated by Lithuania's Ministry of Defence.
• President Nausėda emphasized the importance of readiness amid Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, affirming Lithuania's commitment to defend its airspace alongside NATO allies.
• Lithuania shares extensive borders with Belarus, a key Russian ally, and has experienced multiple drone sightings and incursions recently, including a previous incident on 13 September involving a drone crossing from Belarus into Russia.
• Military drone incursions have increased across Europe since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with NATO jets frequently intercepting stray Ukrainian drones in Baltic countries like Estonia and Latvia.