NATO jets scramble as drone explodes in Lithuanian airspace
A flying object, likely a drone, entered Lithuanian airspace and exploded on Oct. 18, sending residents to shelters and damaging a civilian vehicle, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said.
On October 18, unidentified objects likely drones entered Lithuanian airspace and exploded, prompting the activation of NATO fighter jets. President Gitanas Nauseda expressed concern that Russia's war in Ukraine is affecting NATO territory. The jets, unable to determine the objects due to foggy conditions, refrained from shooting them down.
Local authorities later investigated suspected drone debris near Juodzionys village, resulting in no casualties. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi attributed the incident to Russian electronic warfare, diverting Ukrainian drones from their targets and apologized for the disruption and risks caused. Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stated the drones flew from Poland, but Poland's Defense Ministry denied confirming the border crossing.
The previous day, Romanian fighter jets shot down two jet-powered drones, believed to be Geran family Shahed-style attack drones from Russia. Lithuanian authorities also thwarted an arson attempt on a Starlink communications equipment storage facility, attributing it to Russian actors. These incidents are seen as consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, threatening critical infrastructure and undermining European support for Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
