NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania early Tuesday morning after residents received an urgent phone alert. The drone, which entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus near the border village of Pratkunai, was intercepted around 30 minutes after the warning. This marks the first time a drone has been shot down in Lithuanian territory, highlighting increased military tensions and NATO's readiness to respond to such incursions.
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Nato fighter jets scrambled to shoot down a drone that breached Lithuanian airspace after an urgent phone warning was issued to residents.
The drone entered the country from neighbouring Belarus and was heading west before it was shot down near the central-southern village of Pratkunai outside the city of Kaunas.
An emergency warning was sent to phones in Vilnius, Trakai and Elektrėnai just after midnight local time on Tuesday.
The drone was shot down by Nato forces around 30 minutes after the warning was sent.
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warning → see → forces
It is the first drone to be shot down in Lithuanian territory.
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It → shoot → territory
Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda wrote on X in the early hours of Tuesday: 'A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets.
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that → write → jets
I thank Allied personnel for their swift response.
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I → thank → response
'With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region.
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readiness → intensify → region
'Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace.
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Lithuania → defend → airspace
'
A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace today (stock image)
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that → shoot → airspace
The town where the drone was shot down - Pratkunai - is more than 30 miles from the border with Belarus.
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drone → shoot → Belarus
Lithuania shares a large part of its southern and eastern border with Belarus, a major Russian ally run by Putin-puppet Alexander Lukashenko.
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Lithuania → share → Lukashenko
Lithuania's armed forces and Italian pilots serving in the Nato Air Defence Mission 'showed a swift and responsible response' to the drone incursion, Lithuania's Ministry of Defence said.
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Ministry → serve → Defence
Drone sightings were reported in Lithuania on Sunday, with the crisis management centre later saying an object had 'likely' entered from Belarus and travelled across the country's territory before entering the airspace of Russia.
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object → report → Russia
The incident on September 13 did not trigger air threat alerts.
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incident → trigger → alerts
It comes after Boris Johnson narrowly escaped a Russian drone that hit a train shortly after he had passed through.
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he → come → train
The former prime minister was aboard a private train that was forced to speed up to reach Poland on Sunday morning morning after an incoming drone hundreds of kilometres away was detected.
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drone → force → kilometres
Ever since the outbreak of Russia's war on Ukraine, military drone incursions have become increasingly common across Europe.
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incursions → become → Europe
On Monday night, Poland also announced there had been 'aviation operations' in its airspace 'due to the activity of Russian Federation's jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles conducting strikes on Ukrainian territory'.
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Poland → announce → territory
These measures are of a 'preventive nature' and are geared towards 'securing airspace and its protection, especially in areas adjacent to threatened regions', it added.
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it → gear → regions
Residents in Lithuania's capital had to take shelter across Vilnius in May after a drone alert was triggered, temporarily grounding flights and rail travel.
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alert → have → flights
Nato jets have scrambled several times to shoot down stray Ukrainian drones that have entered into Baltic countries Estonia and Latvia this year.
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that → scramble → countries
Kyiv has blamed the stray drones on Moscow's electronic warfare, technology designed to change the flight paths of Ukrainian drones.
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Kyiv → blame → drones
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia all signed up to Nato in 2004, becoming signatories to the Article 5 provision that states 'an armed attack against one Nato member shall be considered an attack against all members'.
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attack → sign → members
On Tuesday morning, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Kestutis Budrys, thanked allies 'whose presence helps protect our skies and strengthens our security'.
'This is best example of allied unity and resolve in action – sending a clear message that Nato stands vigilant, committed, and ready.'
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Nato → help → message
On Monday, the Polish military discovered a suspected Russian drone from the sea on the Baltic coast in northern Poland.
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military → discover → Poland
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said: 'The military has located and recovered a drone from the Baltic Sea near the beach in Rusinowo, close to Jaroslawiec.
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military → say → Jaroslawiec
'Preliminary inspection indicates that it is a Russian military drone.'
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it → indicate → ?
A Polish armed forces spokesperson said the drone is understood to be a Gerbera – a cheap long-range aerial drone made of materials like plywood and foam.
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drone → say → plywood
They are often deployed as decoys but can also carry explosives.
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They → deploy → explosives
It was recovered by a hydrographic vessel off the coast of the village of Rusinowo.
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It → recover → Rusinowo
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly warned that Nato nations should expect an increase in provocations from the Kremlin.
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nations → warn → Kremlin
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