NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight on September 15, marking the first time a drone has been downed in the country’s history, according to the Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT. The aircraft that carried out the strike were Italian fighter jets based at an air base in the city of Šiauliai.
The drone was detected in Lithuanian airspace around midnight, prompting authorities to declare an air raid alert in the Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai, and Kaunas districts. It also disrupted airport operations, delaying several international flights.
The drone was shot down between Kaunas and Kaišiadorys, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Vilnius.
According to preliminary information, the drone may have been carrying explosives. Authorities are still working to determine who owned it.
Lithuania has repeatedly declared air raid alerts in various parts of the country over drones entering its airspace — including Ukrainian drones that Russian electronic warfare systems knocked off course.
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