Nato jets down drone that entered Lithuanian airspace

Nato fighter pilots have shot down a drone that entered Lithuania's airspace overnight, the Lithuanian president said.

Authorities said the drone likely entered southern Lithuania, near the second-largest city of Kaunas, from neighboring Belarus shortly after midnight on Tuesday.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda wrote in a statement on X: "A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets."

The origins of the drone are yet to be determined, a spokesperson for the Lithuanian national crisis management center said, according to the BBC.

Drone alerts sounded across the capital Vilnius and surrounding region earlier on Tuesday.

Shortly after midnight local time (21:00 GMT), alerts were sent to phones in the region, warning of a potential drone and telling residents to "find a safe place" and "wait for the all clear".

Lithuania's armed forces and Italian pilots serving in the Nato Air Defense Mission "showed a swift and responsible response" to the drone incursion, Lithuania's Ministry of Defense said.

Nausėda's post on social media added: "With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace."

Drone sightings were reported in Lithuania on Sunday. The crisis management center later said an object had "likely" entered from Belarus and travelled across the country's territory before entering the airspace of Russia. The 13 September incident did not trigger air threat alerts.

Military drone incursions have become increasingly common across Europe since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.