Italian NATO fighter jet shoots down stray drone over Lithuania

SIAULIAI AIR BASE, Lithuania: An Italian NATO fighter jet shot down a drone in Lithuanian airspace on Tuesday (Sep 15) that “most probably” came from Russia, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said.

The drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Russian ally Belarus after midnight and was shot down near the southern village of Pratkunai not far from the city of Kaunas, the Lithuanian national crisis management centre said.

“Last night, again, the Italian pilots have intervened and they have shot down a threat that most probably came from Russia”, Crosetto told reporters at Siauliai Air Base, where Italian fighters are based as part of the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission.

“The presence of Italian aircraft here is the clear demonstration of the value of the Atlantic alliance for Italy and what it means to be an ally”, he said after meeting crews with Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas.

Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.

Kaunas told reporters that the drone had probably not carried explosives, and the debris of the drone would be examined.

“Then we will be able to say clearly, whether this is a Russian drone and it’s possibly a provocation, or whether it is another country’s drone”, he said.

Ukrainian drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace in the Baltic region in recent months. Kyiv says they were steered off course by Russian signal jamming.