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NATO Fighter Shoots Down Drone Near Lithuanian Village
A drone was flying over Lithuania shortly after midnight Tuesday.
A fighter jet working with NATO shot it down.
It happened near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania.
The village is near Kaunas.
People in Vilnius and nearby areas had received an alert.
Officials said the drone may have come from Belarus.
They also said its exact origin was not known.
The event raised concerns that the war in Ukraine could affect nearby NATO countries.
A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuania shortly after midnight Tuesday.
The drone was brought down near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania, near Kaunas.
An alert had earlier been issued in Vilnius and the surrounding region.
Officials said the drone likely entered from Belarus, but its origin remains undetermined.
The incident renewed concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could spill into NATO airspace.
- Who
- A NATO fighter jet and Lithuania’s national crisis management authorities were involved.
- What
- A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone over Lithuania.
- Where
- Near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania, near Kaunas; an alert was also issued around Vilnius.
- When
- Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, September 15.
- Why
- The drone was intercepted after entering Lithuanian airspace, but its exact origin and purpose had not been determined.
Key facts
- Incident
- A NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuania.
- Location
- Near Pratkunai village in southern Lithuania, close to Kaunas.
- Alert area
- Vilnius and the surrounding region.
- Suspected entry point
- Belarus was identified as the likely entry direction.
- Origin
- The drone’s origin remained undetermined.
- Regional context
- Stray military drones have raised concerns about the spillover of Russia’s war in Ukraine into neighboring NATO countries.
Sources
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