NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, Lithuanian officials said Tuesday. The incident marked the first time a drone had been downed in the country's airspace.
The drone was detected near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of the capital, Vilnius, and close to the Kaunas Reservoir. Authorities are investigating the drone's origin and purpose.
The incursion follows recent statements by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who warned that strikes occurring "close to NATO territory" would prompt the alliance to increase its support for Ukraine. Rutte described Russia's actions as "increasingly reckless" and pledged to bolster the 32-nation alliance's defenses along its eastern border with Russia.
The Lithuanian military stated that the drone "likely" carried explosives. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center, indicated to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT that the drone most likely entered from Belarus, a key Russian ally. It remained in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes, flying near populated areas before being intercepted.
Meanwhile, drone activity has been reported across Ukraine. Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported that eight people were wounded in Russian strikes on Kyiv since the start of the day, including two at gas stations. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 222 Ukrainian drones overnight. In the Russian city of Taganrog, a large Ukrainian drone attack reportedly caused several fires and damaged residential buildings, an educational institution, and agricultural warehouses, according to regional Governor Yuri Slyusar.