Nato fighter jets destroy mystery drone in Lithuania

Lithuania’s president referenced Russia’s ‘intense aggression’ with Ukraine (Picture: Getty)

A drone which entered Nato airspace has been shot down after being spotted overnight in Lithuania’s second-largest city.

President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed that the mystery drone entered Lithuanian airspace from neighbouring Belarus before being shot down by fighter jets.

‘With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine,such readiness is vital for our region. Together with our Nato Allies,Lithuania will defend its airspace,’ he added.

Russia has not taken responsibility for the drone,but Belarus’ weapons are almost entirely funded and supplied by Moscow.

Earlier,drone alarms sounded across the Lithuanian capital and other villages.

The drone came from nearby Belarus (Picture: Shutterstock)

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.This summer,it was found that Russia was behind hundreds of mystery drone operations across Europe and the EU in preparation for a ‘future conflict’.The International Institute for Strategic Studies issued a sobering report in which it found Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet ships sent drones into Britain and Europe,targeting airports,bases and nuclear sites.Among the sites affected by the spy drones were RAF Fairford,Feltwell,Lakenheath and Mildenhall,and dozens of sites across continental Europe.Since 2024,mystery drone sightings have plagued airports,military bases and civilian areas as Russia increasingly tests the limits of its spyware.‘The Kremlin was likely able to map reaction times,coverage gaps and limitations across European integrated air defences,’ the IISS added.In June,jets were scrambled over Lithuania after a kamikaze drone was feared to have entered its airspace.People living in Vilnius were ordered to take precautions,as the country borders Russia and its ally Belarus.The alert which went off was a ‘radar signal characteristic of unmanned aerial vehicles’.Later,it was stated that the incursion may have been a weather balloon,but it comes as Russia launched a blitz on a Ukrainian market.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.