NATO Jets Down Drone Near Kaunas After Midnight Incursion From Belarus
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 14
NATO Jets Down Drone Near Kaunas After Midnight Incursion From Belarus
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Sep 14
Summary
Shortly after midnight Tuesday, NATO fighter jets destroyed a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace near Kaunas, President Gitanas Nausėda said.
Lithuanian authorities said the drone likely crossed in from Belarus into southern Lithuania, while its exact origin has not yet been determined.
Drone alerts sounded across Vilnius and the surrounding region before the shootdown, underscoring the immediate security response.
Nausėda linked the incident to heightened regional risk from Russia's war in Ukraine; Lithuania shares much of its southern and eastern border with Belarus, a close Russian ally.
Drone incursions have become more frequent across Europe since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, keeping NATO's eastern flank on high alert.