NATO aircraft have successfully intercepted a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace late Monday into Tuesday, according to local authorities. The drone was shot down near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, approximately 95 kilometers west of Vilnius, close to the Kaunas reservoir, as reported by the National Crisis Management Center (NKVC).
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the head of the NKVC, indicated that the drone likely originated from Belarus. The unmanned aerial vehicle remained in Lithuanian airspace for about half an hour, flying along the outskirts of populated areas before being intercepted.
Prime Minister Thanks Italian Allies
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius expressed gratitude to the Italian air defense mission that carried out the interception. “First of all, I want to thank the Italian defense mission for successfully eliminating the drone that penetrated Lithuanian territory. I just returned from Ukraine, where I witnessed the ongoing military actions and the constant aerial threat,” Sinkevičius stated.
NATO fighter jets have been patrolling the airspace of the Baltic states—Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia—since they joined the alliance in 2004. In recent months, these aircraft have previously downed stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia in May and over Latvia in June and August.
Origin of the Drone Remains Unclear
Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas clarified that the drone was downed near critical infrastructure, specifically the Kruonis pumped storage hydroelectric power plant. “Around 01:20, the object was neutralized near the Kruonis hydroelectric power plant, close to critical infrastructure. The armed forces, along with all competent authorities, will analyze the drone’s wreckage and conduct an investigation to determine the circumstances, including its trajectory and purpose, and will strive to gather all possible information,” Kaunas told LRT TV.
Chief Security Advisor Deividas Matulionis mentioned that the drone likely deviated from its initial course. “Currently, it is unclear whether the drone was Russian or Ukrainian. Most likely, it is either a Russian or Ukrainian drone that strayed off course, but we cannot confirm this at the moment,” Matulionis said during an interview with Ziniu Radijas. He also warned that the number of such incidents could increase in the future.
