NATO fighter jets shoot down drone in Lithuanian airspace, president says
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced that NATO fighter jets shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace, at a time when the alliance is increasingly on edge over spillover from the Russia-Ukraine war.
TL;DR
- NATO fighter jets shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace.
- The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus.
- The drone was downed near the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant, a vital energy facility.
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda blamed Russia for the incident.
- Italian pilots were thanked for their response.
- The incident occurs amid heightened NATO concerns over spillover from the Russia-Ukraine war.
- Lithuanian defense had previously warned of potential drone attacks on critical infrastructure.
- The Baltics are considered a prime target for spillover effects from the war.