NATO jets down drone over Lithuania after alliance warns strikes will drive support for Ukraine

VILNIUS, Lithuania - On Tuesday, NATO fighter jets brought down a drone that had breached Lithuania's airspace the previous night, according to officials. This occurred less than 24 hours after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that strikes near the alliance's territory would prompt the organization to bolster its support for Ukraine.

The downed drone was discovered near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, approximately 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. It was also close to the Kaunas Reservoir, as reported by Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center on Tuesday. Lithuania's military declared this the first instance of a drone being shot down within the country's airspace.

Authorities have not disclosed the drone's origin or purpose, stating that the event requires further investigation. This incident follows a speech delivered by Rutte on Monday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, during which he stated that strikes "close to NATO territory" demonstrated Russian President Vladimir Putin's "desperation and also his desire to sow fear and terror." He added, "Russia is growing increasingly reckless as it cont"