SIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania — An Italian NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace on Tuesday that “most probably” came from Russia, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.
The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Russian ally Belarus after midnight and was shot down near the southern village of Pratkunai not far from the city of Kaunas, the Lithuanian national crisis management centre said.
“Last night, again, the Italian pilots have intervened and they have shot down a threat that most probably came from Russia”, Crosetto told reporters at Siauliai Air Base, where Italian fighters are based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.
“The presence of Italian aircraft here is the clear demonstration of the value of the Atlantic alliance for Italy and what it means to be an ally,” he said after meeting crews with Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas.
Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.
Kaunas said on social media the drone carried an explosive.
After the drone debris is examined, “then we will be able to say clearly, whether this is a Russian drone and it’s possibly a provocation, or whether it is another country’s drone,” he told reporters.
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace in the Baltic region in recent months. Kyiv says they were steered off course by Russian signal jamming.
Drone alert
A drone alert had been issued in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius and the surrounding region earlier on Tuesday.
The Lithuanian Army shared video from the site of the crash, showing debris scattered in the grass. Some of the parts appeared to be made of wood and some appeared charred.
Fighters with the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission have patrolled the skies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia since the Baltic countries joined the alliance in 2004. The mission’s jets shot down stray Ukrainian drones over Estonia in May, and over Latvia in June and August.
Military drones straying into the airspace of Russia’s neighbors have stoked concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine is spilling over NATO’s borders.
Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russia, including in the Baltic Sea area.
