Italian NATO jets shoot down explosive-laden drone over Lithuania after airspace breach from Belarus

Interception over central Lithuania

Italian fighter jets flying for NATO shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying explosives over central Lithuania shortly after midnight on Tuesday. The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and tracked westward before two Italian fighter aircraft, operating out of the Siauliai airbase as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing mission, intercepted and destroyed it. The National Crisis Management Centre reported that the wreckage fell in a rural area near Pratkunai and Lake Kaunas, close to the Kruonis pumped-storage power plant. Lithuanian authorities confirmed there were no casualties or ground damage. Air raid alerts sounded across several central districts during the response, and commercial flights experienced temporary delays at regional airports.

With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region.

Explosive payload and joint inquiry

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed that the downed aircraft carried an explosive charge, which military bomb disposal specialists neutralised at the recovery site. Specialists are examining the debris to establish the precise origin of the device, while Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto indicated that the drone most likely originated from Russia. Following the operation, Kaunas met with response crews on the ground and held consultations with Crosetto and Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. Poland and Lithuania agreed to pool investigative resources and share findings on recent unmanned aircraft incursions across the two countries.

We agreed that we would jointly clarify the circumstances and pool our resources to establish all the details.

Wider Baltic security incidents

The Lithuanian engagement followed a series of military encounters across the Baltic region over the preceding 48 hours. On Monday, the Polish military recovered an unmanned aerial vehicle from the Baltic Sea off Poland's central coast. Polish officials assessed that the craft was an unarmed Russian reconnaissance drone lost during naval exercises. Also on Monday, Russian forces fired flares at a Danish military helicopter monitoring a Russian warship in the Baltic Sea. These events took place after Russian strikes hit a railway near the Polish border on Sunday, minutes after a delegation of Western officials passed through the area, which led NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to pledge increased defensive backing.

Diplomatic reactions across the alliance

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the flight into Lithuanian airspace as part of a pattern of aggression and provocation against Europe. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated that NATO allies would not be intimidated by airspace breaches, while Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys thanked allied pilots for protecting Baltic airspace. Kaunas noted that the war in Ukraine continues to affect the wider Baltic Sea region despite active fighting occurring more than 1,000 kilometres away. In Warsaw, Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the successive incidents on social media.

recent days show that Russia's actions threaten the security of the entire Europe.