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NATO Jets Shoot Down Drone That Entered Lithuanian Airspace
Italian fighter jets flying under NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, the first such interception in the country's history, hours after NATO's chief warned that strikes near alliance territory would push the bloc to boost support for Ukraine.
AI-synthesized from the cited sources below.
NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that had entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials confirmed Tuesday, in what the country's military described as the first time a drone has been intercepted over Lithuanian territory. Italian jets flying as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission downed the drone early Tuesday near the village of Pratkunai in the Kaisiadorys district, roughly 100 kilometers west of the capital Vilnius and close to the Kaunas Reservoir.
The drone is believed to have entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and remained there for about 30 minutes, flying along the edges of populated areas before it was shot down. Authorities have not yet said who was responsible or what the drone's purpose was, saying the incident requires further investigation. The interception came less than a day after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that strikes occurring close to the alliance's territory would drive member states to increase their support for Kyiv, underscoring how incidents along NATO's eastern flank continue to raise tensions amid the wider war in Ukraine.
Key facts
- Italian NATO jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, the first such interception ever in Lithuania
- The drone was downed near Pratkunai village, about 100km west of Vilnius, after entering from Belarus
- It remained in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes before being intercepted
- The drone's origin and purpose have not been confirmed; an investigation is underway
- NATO chief Mark Rutte had warned hours earlier that strikes near alliance territory would boost support for Ukraine
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