Italian NATO jet downs drone in Lithuania, origin unconfirmed — SkimNews
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- Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said Italian pilots at Siauliai Air Base shot down the drone that 'most probably came from Russia' after it entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus shortly after midnight
- Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the drone carried an explosive and that investigators must examine the debris — described in military video as partly wooden and charred — before confirming whether it is Russian or 'another country's drone'
- The drone was intercepted near the southern village of Pratkunai close to Kaunas, after Lithuania issued a drone alert for Vilnius and the surrounding region earlier Tuesday; Russia did not immediately comment
- NATO's Baltic Air Defence mission — staffed partly by Italian crews since 2004 — has now shot down drones over Estonia in May and Latvia in June and August, making this the fourth such interception in the region this year
- Ukraine says its drones repeatedly straying into Baltic NATO airspace were knocked off course by Russian signal jamming — a detail the source raises to explain why the Lithuanian origin investigation remains open even as Crosetto attributed the drone to Russia
Why it matters: This is the fourth NATO shoot-down of a drone in the Baltic region since May, with the mission's Italian pilots directly intercepting the threat at Siauliai Air Base. Lithuania's defense minister publicly held off on confirming Russian origin until debris is examined, showing the alliance is calibrating attribution carefully amid repeated airspace violations that risk drawing Article 4 or 5 consultations.
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