NATO fighters shoot down drone near Kruonis power plant

NATO air policing forces shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, LRT reported. The object was neutralised near the Kruonis pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in the Kaišiadorys district at about 1:20 a.m.

Italian NATO fighter jets operating from the Šiauliai Air Base intercepted the drone, which most likely entered Lithuania from Belarus. Wreckage was found near the village of Pratkūnai, where the Shield plan has been activated.

National Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told LRT that the authorities had responded effectively and that residents had been informed in time.

“The NATO air defence mission neutralised an object flying in our airspace that had entered Lithuania from Belarus, violating our airspace,” Kaunas said.

He said radar data and other indicators had helped identify the object as a drone. Kaunas also thanked the Italian allies carrying out the air defence mission in the Baltic region.

Authorities have cordoned off the wreckage site. The military and other institutions will examine the fragments and investigate the drone’s route, purpose and other circumstances. Kaunas said he had also contacted Poland’s defence minister to coordinate efforts and clarify the incident.

He linked the recent alerts to the intensity of Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying that the conflict was affecting security in the Baltic region despite taking place far from Lithuania.