NATO jets down drone over Lithuania as Russian ship fires flares at Danish helicopter
NATO fighter jets shot down a suspected explosive-laden drone over Lithuania overnight, while Denmark reported a Russian frigate fired flares at one of its helicopters over the Baltic Sea.
Lithuanian officials said Tuesday that NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered the country's airspace overnight, marking the first such interception in Lithuania's history. Authorities have not confirmed the drone's origin or purpose, but two senior officials said it likely carried explosives.
The drone came down near the village of Pratkūnai, about 100 kilometres west of the capital Vilnius, close to the Kaunas Reservoir. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center, told public broadcaster LRT the drone most likely entered from Belarus and stayed in Lithuanian airspace for roughly 30 minutes, flying along the edges of populated areas before it was intercepted. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Facebook that an explosive device found on the drone was neutralized by bomb-disposal experts.
Drones have repeatedly appeared over Lithuania, which borders both Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. In May, Vilnius residents were told to shelter and the president and prime minister were moved to safe locations during a drone alert near the Belarusian border. That same month, a NATO jet shot down a stray Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia.
Baltic Sea incident
Separately, Denmark said one of its air force helicopters was fired on with flares while conducting routine photographic surveillance of a Russian frigate near the port of Gedser in the Baltic Sea. Denmark's foreign ministry called the act completely unacceptable and summoned Russia's ambassador. Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, claimed the Danish helicopter had carried out provocative actions against the frigate.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday that strikes close to alliance territory reflected President Vladimir Putin's desperation and desire to spread fear, speaking after a Russian drone hit a railway line near the Ukraine-Poland border on Sunday. Rutte pledged to strengthen NATO's defences along its eastern border with Russia and Belarus. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen described the Lithuania and Denmark incidents as part of a broader pattern of Russian aggression against Europe. The Kremlin declined to comment.
