Italian NATO Jet Shoots Down Suspected Russian Drone Over Lithuania — SkimNews
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- NATO — via an Italian fighter jet — shot down a suspected Russian drone that entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus on Tuesday, near the settlement of Pratkunai, just north of Kaunas.
- Lithuania's Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the drone was carrying an explosive, and that debris was being examined to confirm whether it originated from Russia or another country.
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the incident part of a pattern of "aggression and provocation" against Europe, while German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said NATO members would not be intimidated.
- The interception followed Russia's firing of flares at a Danish military helicopter monitoring a Russian warship in the Baltic Sea on Monday, according to the source.
- The escalation came two days after Russian drone strikes on Sunday hit a train close to the Polish border — minutes after a UK, U.S., and European delegation passed through the station, per the article.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged more support for Ukraine after the Sunday strikes, and Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz warned that "Russia's actions threaten the security of the entire Europe."
Why it matters: This is the third NATO-flank incident in three days: Sunday's drones hit a train near Poland shortly after a Western delegation passed through, Monday Russia fired flares at a Danish helicopter over the Baltic, and Tuesday a drone was intercepted over Lithuania. The escalating pattern gives NATO tangible justification to expand Baltic air policing and increase Ukraine aid, while making a negotiated settlement harder as member states publicly frame Russia as a direct territorial threat to Europe.
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