NATO fighter jets have shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, triggering emergency alerts and underscoring growing concerns that Russia’s war against Ukraine is increasingly spilling into alliance territory.
The drone was destroyed shortly after midnight near the village of Pratkunai in southern Lithuania, close to Kaunas, the country’s second-largest city. Lithuanian authorities believe it entered the country from neighbouring Belarus, although its origin has not yet been established.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on social media: “A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by Nato fighter jets.
“I thank Allied personnel for their swift response.”
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He added: “With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region.
“Together with our Nato Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace.”
Lithuania’s Defence Ministry said the country’s armed forces and Italian pilots serving in NATO’s Air Defence Mission had “showed a swift and responsible response” to the incident.
An earlier drone alert was issued for Vilnius and the surrounding region as authorities responded to the incursion.
The incident comes as Germany prepares to significantly expand its military presence in Lithuania, with thousands of troops expected to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.
According to information obtained by Bild, the first German soldiers could arrive as soon as the end of this month. The 45th Panzer Brigade is expected to become permanently based in Lithuania by the end of next year, with almost 5,000 German troops ultimately stationed there.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the coming months could prove critical for Europe’s security.
“We are most likely living through decisive weeks or months for the defence of freedom and peace on our continent,” he said.
“If Russia wins, the consequences for all of us, including Germany, would be unpredictable.
“That is why I stand firmly here and am not prepared to give up a single centimetre.”
Around 80 per cent of German forces currently stationed in Lithuania are serving voluntarily. Germany’s Defence Ministry said: “According to current forecasts, and in view of the continued influx of volunteer applications, the number of compulsory postings is expected to be in the mid three-figure range.”
The latest incursion follows a series of incidents involving drones entering NATO airspace as the alliance seeks to prevent spillover from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Sunday, Geran-5 “missile drones” were believed to have crossed into Polish airspace, prompting emergency warnings for residents to seek shelter.
NATO aircraft have also intercepted drones over Estonia in May and Latvia in June and August. Ukraine has previously blamed Russian electronic warfare for some drones entering NATO territory, arguing that their flight paths had been altered.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia form a strategically exposed section of NATO’s eastern flank. All three joined the alliance in 2004 and are covered by Article 5, under which “an armed attack against one NATO member shall be considered an attack against all members”.
The repeated incursions are therefore raising questions beyond the immediate threat posed by individual drones: whether increasingly frequent violations of NATO airspace could test the alliance’s ability to distinguish accidental spillover from deliberate Russian escalation.
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