NATO jets shoot down drone over Lithuania

NATO fighter jets intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial vehicle that entered Lithuanian airspace, the Baltic nation’s president announced on Tuesday. The incident marks the latest security breach on the alliance’s eastern frontier amid heightened tensions linked to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Lithuanian authorities reported that the drone was detected by national radar and that NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission dispatched aircraft to neutralize the threat within minutes.

The shoot‑down underscores NATO’s continued commitment to protect the airspace of its member states bordering Russia, a policy reinforced after a series of similar incursions in the region over the past year. While officials have not identified the drone’s origin, they emphasized that the response was conducted in accordance with established NATO protocols. The alliance reiterated that it remains vigilant in monitoring and defending its eastern flank as the conflict in Ukraine persists.