NATO jets down drone in Lithuanian airspace
NATO fighter jets intercepted and destroyed a drone in Lithuanian airspace, marking a first for the country. The incident follows heightened tensions and warnings from NATO leadership regarding Russian aggression near alliance borders.
Why it matters
The downing of a drone in NATO territory represents a significant escalation in the security situation along the alliance's eastern flank.
VILNIUS, Lithuania — NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials said Tuesday, less than a day after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that strikes close to the alliance's territory would drive the trans-Atlantic organization to increase its support for Kyiv.
The drone was downed near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of the country's capital, Vilnius, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center said Tuesday.
Lithuania's military said that the incident marked the first time that a drone had been shot down in the country's airspace. Authorities didn't comment on the drone's origin or purpose, saying the incident needed further investigation.
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