NATO jets down drone in Lithuania as alliance warns over border strikes

Vilnius,UPDATED: Sep 15, 2026 14:12 IST

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials said on Tuesday, in the first such incident in the country. The development came less than a day after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said strikes close to the alliance's territory would lead the trans-Atlantic organisation to step up support for Kyiv.

As the incident in Lithuania raised fresh concerns along NATO's eastern flank, fighting also continued in and around Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was "ready to support de-escalation", while Russian drone strikes continued across Ukraine and Moscow said it had shot down 222 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Lithuania's Crisis Management Centre said the drone was brought down near the village of Pratkunai in the Kaiiadorys district, about 100 kilometres west of Vilnius and near the Kaunas Reservoir. Lithuania's military said it was the first time a drone had been shot down in the country's airspace.

Authorities did not comment on the drone's origin or purpose, saying the incident needed further investigation. The incursion followed Rutte's speech on Monday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he said strikes "close to NATO territory" showed Russian President Vladimir Putin's "desperation and also his desire to sow fear and terror".

"Russia is growing increasingly reckless as it continues its terrible war against Ukraine," Rutte said. He also pledged to strengthen the 32-member alliance's own defences along its long eastern border with Russia.

Drones have repeatedly been a threat over Lithuania, which borders Belarus, a key ally of Moscow, and Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad. Lithuanian air force commander Antanas Matutis said the wreckage had been found and the drone "likely" was carrying explosives.

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the Crisis Management Centre, told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT that the drone most likely entered from Belarus. He said it remained in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes and flew along the outskirts of populated areas before being intercepted.

Meanwhile, Russian drone strikes continued across Ukraine after US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Monday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed "not to hit" each other's energy infrastructure. Trump did not give further details on the purported agreement, and Russia did not immediately comment on his post. Previous efforts to broker even a partial ceasefire have repeatedly collapsed within hours, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

Zelenskyy said late on Monday that Kyiv was "ready to support de-escalation". "We see that the Russians feel the pressure from our precise strikes on Russia's war economy. And so far, no one has seen any genuine desire on Russia's part to move toward ending the war," he said. "But if our American partners can ensure that Russia is genuinely ready to stop this war aimed at destroying life - and to do so for real and for the long term - Ukraine will take its own de-escalatory steps."

Ukraine's State Emergency Service said on Tuesday that eight people were wounded in Russian strikes on Kyiv since the start of the day, including two hurt in strikes on the capital's petrol stations. Elsewhere, Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces shot down 222 Ukrainian drones overnight. Regional Governor Yuri Slyusar said a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack sparked several fires in the Russian city of Taganrog. He said two apartment buildings and three private homes were damaged, along with an educational institution, agricultural warehouses and a site belonging to Russian e-retailer Ozon. The latest developments underlined both the widening security concerns around NATO's border and the continuing exchanges of drone attacks between Russia and Ukraine.

With PTI Inputs

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