Lithuanian President says downed drone was likely Russian and headed for Ukraine
Lithuania's president said a drone shot down by a NATO fighter on Monday was probably Russian and was aimed at Ukraine, not Lithuania.
On Monday night, a NATO fighter jet downed a drone over Lithuania, the first such engagement since NATO started patrolling the Baltic borders after Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joined the alliance in 2004. President Gitanas Nauseda explained that the unmanned vehicle, a Gerbera model constructed from inexpensive plywood, was probably Russian and was being steered toward Ukraine before Ukrainian electronic countermeasures knocked it off course.
He emphasized that Lithuania was not the intended destination. Lithuanian armed forces are now analysing the drone's onboard electronics to uncover further details about its mission. The event occurs against a backdrop of repeated airspace incursions by Poland and the Baltic states linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Why it matters
It shows NATO's active defense role in the Baltic region and highlights the spill-over risks of the Ukraine war.
How this story developed
- Sep 13 Lithuania issues yellow air alert over possible drone sighting
- Sep 13 Public safety instructions were issued following the reported drone sighting.
- Sep 14 A Danish military helicopter was hit by pyrotechnic rounds from a Russian frigate during a routine patrol near Gedser, leading Denmark to summon the Russian ambassador.
- Sep 15 Vilnius Airport was temporarily closed and NATO fighter jets were dispatched to the area.
- Sep 15 Air‑threat warnings for Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai and later the Kaunas region were cancelled.
- Sep 15 No additional official statements have been released since the initial reports.
- Sep 15 NATO fighters shot down the drone.
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