NATO Jet Shoots Down Explosive-Laden Drone Over Lithuania as Russia Suspected
NATO forces have shot down a suspected Russian drone over Lithuania, marking the first such incident in the country. The episode is part of what European officials describe as a broader pattern of Russian provocations against NATO members.
NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania on Saturday, with officials saying it likely came from Russia and may have carried explosives [241552][241436]. An Italian fighter jet destroyed the aircraft between the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas, and officials believe the drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus [241479]. Lithuanian authorities said there is a high probability the drone carried explosives, though its origin has not been definitively established [241436].
The president of the European Commission said recent incidents in Denmark and Lithuania are "not isolated" [241552]. In a separate episode, a Russian warship fired flares at a Danish helicopter [241552]. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha declared Kyiv's "full support" for Denmark and called for joint and decisive action, saying Moscow continues its attempts to destabilize Europe [241552].
The drone shootdown over Lithuania is the first of its kind in the country [241436]. No injuries or damage were reported [241479].
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO members. Days before the Lithuania episode, a Russian drone struck a passenger train at a railway station in Lutsk, Ukraine, near the border with Poland [240916]. The attack set a train car on fire, and emergency crews worked to extinguish the flames [240916]. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the strike was intended to intimidate Western countries that support Ukraine [240916].
Poland's Donald Tusk had warned days earlier that Moscow could target Ukraine's border crossings with Poland [240402]. The strikes on railways and border crossings are putting civilian travel at growing risk [240402].
Russia has also expanded its drone production using Chinese components, building five new production halls for drones used in nightly attacks on Ukrainian cities [241454].