NATO Shoots Down Drone Over Lithuania, President Says

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone after it entered Lithuanian airspace, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Tuesday, as Baltic states remain on heightened alert amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets,” Nauseda said in a post on X, stressing that such readiness was crucial as Russia intensifies its aggression against Ukraine.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — all NATO members bordering Russia — have repeatedly reported drone incursions and other airspace incidents since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, citing the National Crisis Management Center (NKVC), reported that the drone crashed in a rural area near Lake Kaunas in central Lithuania.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys thanked NATO allies for their presence and contribution to protecting Lithuanian airspace.

“This is the best example of Allied unity and resolve in action — sending a clear message that NATO stands vigilant, committed, and ready,” Budrys said in a post on X.

The incident comes months after a NATO fighter jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia in May. It marked the first interception of a foreign drone in the airspace of a Baltic NATO member by the alliance’s air-policing mission since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.