NATO jets down drone in Lithuanian airspace
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 indicated that strikes close to the alliance’s territory would drive the trans-Atlantic organization to increase its support for Kyiv, reports BritPanorama.
The drone was downed near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, approximately 60 miles west of Vilnius and close to the Kaunas Reservoir, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center.
This incident marks the first time a drone has been shot down in Lithuania’s airspace. Authorities have not commented on the drone’s origin or purpose, indicating that the matter requires further investigation.
In a related incident, a Russian frigate fired two flares toward a Danish military helicopter operating in international waters off Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft, the Danish military reported.
The Baltic Sea region remains on high alert following multiple incidents involving gas pipeline outages, airspace violations, and drone sightings since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, all of which have heightened tensions between Moscow and Western nations.
The Danish defense command stated that the Fennec military helicopter was on a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate when one of the flares, typically used as a warning signal at sea, passed close to it.
The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
These incidents follow Rutte’s remarks at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he described such strikes “close to NATO territory” as indicative of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “desperation” and intention to instill fear and terror.
“Russia is growing increasingly reckless as it continues its terrible war against Ukraine,” Rutte stated, also pledging to enhance the defenses of the 32-nation alliance along its eastern border with Russia.
The threat of drones has loomed heavily over Lithuania, which shares borders with Belarus, a key ally of Moscow, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Antanas Matutis, commander of the Lithuanian air force, reported that wreckage had been found, suggesting the drone “likely” carried explosives. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the crisis center, added that the drone probably entered from Belarus, remaining in Lithuanian airspace for around 30 minutes before being intercepted.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen deemed the incident at sea serious yet not surprising, viewing it as part of a pattern where an increasingly aggressive Russia has amplified its hybrid warfare against Europe, testing NATO’s resolve.
“Russia wants to sow fear and discord. Our answer is to stand closer together and strengthen the defense of Denmark and Europe,” she stated.
Hybrid attacks are generally classified as acts of aggression that do not escalate to war. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen termed the incident “unacceptable,” noting it could have endangered lives.
“Denmark is working to ensure that all shipping can pass peacefully through Danish waters, but Russia is gradually moving the line for what it considers acceptable behaviour,” he said, confirming that he summoned Russia’s ambassador to Denmark for discussions.
The Danish straits are crucial for both commercial and military shipping in and out of the Baltic Sea and also serve as a key route for global oil shipments, including from Russia’s shadow fleet used to evade Western sanctions.
Last year, Denmark’s Defence Intelligence Service indicated that Russian warships had repeatedly sailed toward Danish vessels, targeted helicopters and ships with tracking radars, and pointed weapons at them in the straits.
Russia has consistently dismissed such accusations and denies carrying out hybrid attacks in Europe.
