NATO fighters destroy drone over Kaišiadorys district

NATO air policing fighters destroyed a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace over Kaišiadorys district, LRT reported. Authorities have activated the Shield plan at the crash site in Pratkūnai village and are examining the recovered debris.

The drone was destroyed by allied Italian fighter jets that took off from the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai, the Lithuanian military said. Military police and Lithuanian police are working at the scene.

National Crisis Management Centre head Vilmantas Vitkauskas said there was a high probability that the drone carried an explosive charge, but it was not yet clear whether it was a combat drone. Investigators are examining what type of object it was, its purpose and where it came from.

Vitkauskas said the drone had entered Lithuania from Belarus and remained in the country for about half an hour. He said the military had assessed the situation as requiring preparation rather than an imminent strike, which is why a yellow air alert was issued instead of a red one.

According to Vitkauskas, the drone was destroyed within seconds without warning. He said the incident occurred in a remote rural location away from residential areas.

The area around the crash site has been cordoned off and access is restricted. Firefighters, military police, police officers and a medical crew are at the scene.

Pratkūnai is a small village in Kaišiadorys district near Kruonis, with only a few residents and scattered homesteads, according to an LRT reporter at the scene. Local residents also reported hearing NATO fighter jets shortly after midnight.

The military said it would not rush to conclusions and that all circumstances would be assessed during the investigation.