Lithuanian defence authorities confirmed that a drone shot down over the country’s airspace carried an explosive device that was later neutralised by bomb-disposal experts near Pratkūnai, close to Kaunas. The aircraft entered from Belarus and travelled westward before being intercepted during an overnight incident between 14 and 15 September, involving NATO fighter jets and Italian Eurofighters on air-policing duty.
Robertas Kaunas, Lithuania’s defence minister, linked the case to the first known drone shoot-down in Lithuanian airspace, while investigators continue to examine the drone’s exact type, origin and intended target. The incident has intensified concern over spillover from the Russia-Ukraine war into NATO territory, particularly along the alliance’s eastern flank. Lithuanian bomb-disposal teams secured the device after the wreckage was recovered.
Initial reporting focused on the interception and the uncertainty over whether the drone was armed. Later updates confirmed the presence of explosives, sharpening attention on Baltic air-defence readiness and the risks posed by unmanned aircraft crossing international borders.