{"id":37736,"date":"2026-09-16T08:45:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T05:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=37736"},"modified":"2026-09-16T08:45:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T05:45:55","slug":"nato-fighter-jet-shoots-down-suspected-russian-drone-over-lithuania","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/nato-fighter-jet-shoots-down-suspected-russian-drone-over-lithuania\/","title":{"rendered":"NATO fighter jet shoots down suspected Russian drone over Lithuania"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus on September 15, 2026. The drone was shot down after it was suspected of carrying explosives, Lithuanian and NATO officials said.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The drone was intercepted by an Italian fighter operating under NATO&#8217;s Baltic Air Defense mission after it entered Lithuanian airspace shortly after midnight. It was brought down near the village of Pratkunai, close to Kaunas and about 100 kilometers west of Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lithuanian authorities said an explosive device was found on the drone and neutralized by bomb-disposal specialists. No injuries or damage were reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incident is the latest security scare involving drones and military activity near NATO&#8217;s eastern borders, as European governments raise concerns about repeated airspace incidents and other confrontations in the Baltic region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Drone Entered from Belarus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lithuania&#8217;s National Crisis Management Center said the drone remained in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes and flew near populated areas before being intercepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the crisis center, said the drone most likely entered Lithuania from Belarus, a close Russian ally. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said the drone &#8220;most probably&#8221; originated from Russia, but Lithuanian officials said its origin had not yet been confirmed.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Last night, two Italian \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 Eurofighters deployed on NATO Air Defence mission at \u0160iauliai \ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddf9, scrambled and shot down a drone over Lithuanian airspace. <br> <br>The operation was coordinated through NATO\u2019s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. <br><br>Investigations are ongoing\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BFrWbxOjqJ\">pic.twitter.com\/BFrWbxOjqJ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NATO_AIRCOM\/status\/2099788076595699930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 15, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>&#8220;The drone most probably came from Russia,&#8221; Crosetto said after visiting Italian forces at Siauliai Air Base, where the country&#8217;s fighter jets are deployed as part of NATO&#8217;s Baltic Air Defence mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said an explosive device had been detected on the drone and neutralized by bomb-disposal experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Lithuanian officials said investigators would need to examine the recovered debris before determining where the drone came from and what its intended purpose was. Russia had not immediately commented on the incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>NATO Fighter Intercepts Drone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The interception was coordinated by NATO&#8217;s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. Italian fighter aircraft are deployed in Lithuania as part of NATO&#8217;s air-policing mission covering the Baltic states. NATO aircraft have conducted air patrols over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia since the three countries joined the alliance in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mission has gained greater importance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Lithuanian Army released footage showing debris scattered across the ground near the crash site. Some pieces appeared charred, while others appeared to be made from lightweight materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A drone alert had also been issued in Vilnius and surrounding areas earlier Tuesday. Lithuanian authorities said there were no reports of casualties or property damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incident is also significant because Lithuanian officials described it as the first time a drone had been shot down in Lithuanian airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"813\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?resize=1016%2C813&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Eurofighter Typhoon carrying Brimstone missiles\" class=\"wp-image-23570\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?resize=1024%2C819&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?resize=300%2C240&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?resize=768%2C614&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?resize=1536%2C1229&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Eurofighter-Typhoon-Brimstone-missiles.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Eurofighter Typhoon carrying Brimstone 2 missiles as part of live firing trials in November 2017. (Image Credit: Eurofighter\/via X)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Baltic Region Faces Repeated Drone Incidents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The incident comes after several other drones have entered the airspace of NATO&#8217;s Baltic members in recent months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukrainian drones have also crossed into Baltic airspace during Russia&#8217;s war against Ukraine. Kyiv has said some of those aircraft were pushed off course by Russian electronic warfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO aircraft have previously intercepted or shot down stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia and Latvia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The repeated incidents have increased concerns that the war in Ukraine could increasingly spill into NATO territory, even when the aircraft involved are not deliberately targeting alliance members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Baltic states are particularly sensitive to such incidents because Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia border Russia or Belarus and sit close to the main military routes connecting Russia&#8217;s western territory with its Kaliningrad exclave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Germany Warns Against Intimidation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lithuanian incident came as European officials accused Russia of increasing pressure on NATO&#8217;s eastern members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the incident reflected growing hostility toward NATO members and warned that efforts to intimidate or divide the alliance would not succeed. &#8220;We will not be intimidated,&#8221; Wadephul said during a visit to Geneva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also said Monday that Russian military activity close to allied territory would strengthen NATO&#8217;s support for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Russian-Drone-factory.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Russian-Drone-factory.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Russian drone factory\" class=\"wp-image-31415\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Russian-Drone-factory.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Russian-Drone-factory.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Russian Ministry of Defense documentary showcased production inside the Alabuga drone factory. (Image Credit: TV Zvezda)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rutte described recent incidents near NATO territory as an attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to spread fear and said the alliance would strengthen its defenses along its eastern flank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen similarly described recent incidents as part of a wider pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Russia will find our resolve only growing stronger,&#8221; she said, describing the incidents in Lithuania and Denmark as part of a broader pattern of what she called Russian aggression and provocation against Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Denmark Reports Separate Incident<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Lithuania incident occurred on the same day as a separate confrontation in the Baltic Sea. Denmark said a Russian frigate fired flares toward a Danish air force helicopter while it was conducting surveillance near the port of Gedser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Denmark summoned Russia&#8217;s ambassador over the incident and described the action as unacceptable. Russia rejected the accusation. Its ambassador in Copenhagen said Danish aircraft had carried out provocative maneuvers near Russian warships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Kremlin said it did not have enough information to comment on the incident. The two incidents have added to concerns over the growing number of military encounters involving NATO aircraft, Russian forces and drones in and around the Baltic region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Pressure on NATO&#8217;s Eastern Air Defenses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest drone interception comes as Russia and Ukraine continue to exchange long-range drone attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russian forces launched fresh strikes across Ukraine on Tuesday, while Moscow said its air defenses had intercepted 222 Ukrainian drones overnight. The growing use of long-range drones has created additional challenges for countries bordering the conflict zone, particularly those with airspace close to Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Two RNLAF F-35s over the Baltic Sea releasing flares\" class=\"wp-image-31522\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/NATO-Netherlands-F-35s.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Two RNLAF F-35s over the Baltic Sea releasing flares. (Image Credit: Giovanni Colla\/Key.Aero)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The presence of an explosive device on the drone is likely to increase scrutiny of the incident, although its origin and intended target remain under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The episode would also reinforce NATO&#8217;s focus on air surveillance and rapid-response capabilities along its eastern flank as military activity around the Baltic region continues to increase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus on September 15, 2026. The drone was shot down after it was suspected of carrying explosives, Lithuanian and NATO officials said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37738,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[768,256,75,6,43,546,357,286,65,161,59,20,361,22],"class_list":["post-37736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-air-defense","tag-aircraft","tag-conflict","tag-defense","tag-drone","tag-eurofighter","tag-europe","tag-fighter-jet","tag-italy","tag-lithuania","tag-nato","tag-russia","tag-uav","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-9OE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Italy-Eurofighter-fighter-jets.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37736"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37736\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37739,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37736\/revisions\/37739"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}