NATO fighter jets shoot down drone that flew into Lithuania
Illustrative photo: The drone reportedly entered Lithuania from Belarus (Getty Images)
On the night of September 15, Lithuania issued a yellow-level (probable) air threat alert after a drone violated its airspace. NATO fighter jets soon shot it down, according to Delfi and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.
According to media reports, Lithuania's armed forces warned of a potential air threat during the night of September 15. It soon became known that the alert was triggered by a drone that had entered the country.
Shortly afterward, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center, said the drone had been destroyed.
"I received information a minute ago that the drone was successfully destroyed," he said.
The Center later said that the drone was destroyed in the Kaišiadorys district, near the village of Pratkūnai. Preliminary information indicated that the unmanned aerial vehicle had entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus.
Some time later, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda also officially confirmed that a drone had entered the country's airspace and that NATO fighter jets had successfully destroyed it.
"A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets. I thank Allied personnel for their swift response. With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace," he said.
Other incidents
This is not the first such incident in Lithuania or the wider region. For example, on July 10, 2025, Lithuanian fighter jets were also scrambled after an unidentified drone from Belarus was detected. At the time, the country's leadership took shelter in protective facilities.
Another drone was discovered at a military training ground on August 1 of the same year. It had also entered Lithuania from Belarus.
