NATO 'committed and ready' after shooting down drone over Lithuania

NATO remains alert and prepared following the shooting down of a drone over Lithuania, Lithuania's foreign minister Kestutis Budrys stated Tuesday. The allied fighter jet intercepted the drone, which had crossed from Belarus, marking the latest in a series of aerial incursions testing NATO's eastern border with Russia. Budrys praised the collective defense, highlighting the protective role of the alliance's air presence for Baltic skies and regional security.

President Gitanas Nauseda confirmed the incident on social media, emphasizing the significance of such readiness amid Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Lithuania's National Crisis Management Centre reported that the drone had descended near the village of Pratkūnai in Kaunas county, marking the first time a drone was shot down over Lithuanian territory.

The episode was not an isolated incident, as Poland had launched its own aviation operations earlier in response to Russian drone strikes near its borders, signaling an expanded vigilance beyond the Baltic states. This incident comes amid Russia's war on Ukraine and heightened tensions, with Lithuania already considering involvement in Western nuclear deterrence against Moscow.

Meanwhile, fighting persisted between Ukraine and Russia, with Ukraine striking Russian military targets in Krasnodar Krai and Russia launching drones at Ukraine.