NATO jets shoot down drone over Lithuania

DPAMon, September 14, 2026 at 11:03 PM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone over Lithuania, President Gitanas Nausėda said early on Tuesday.

" I thank Allied personnel for their swift response," Nausėda wrote on X.

"With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace."

Lithuania borders Russia's Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as well as Belarus, a close ally of Moscow. The country has felt particularly threatened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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According to the Lithuanian government, the country's military intelligence service has information suggesting that Russia could be considering attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic states.

Germany's armed forces, the Bundeswehr, are currently building up a German armoured brigade in Lithuania.

The combat-ready and independently deployable force, comprising 4,800 troops, is expected to be operational by 2027.