Two Italian Eurofighter Typhoons, operating under NATO command, scrambled overnight and intercepted a drone flying over Lithuanian airspace, an act that marks the first recorded downing of a drone in the country’s airspace, officials reported on Tuesday.
The event occurred less than 24 hours after NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte warned that attacks near alliance territory would compel the 32‑nation alliance to bolster its support for Ukraine.
The drone was destroyed near the village of Pratkūnai, located roughly 60 miles west of the capital, Vilnius.
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Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district roughly 60 miles northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)
“Last night, two Italian Eurofighters deployed on NATO Air Defence mission at Siauliai, scrambled and shot down a drone over Lithuanian airspace,” a NATO official told Fox News Digital. “The operation was coordinated through NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Uedem, Germany. Investigations are ongoing together with national authorities.”
Lithuanian Air Force Commander Antanas Matutis said the recovered drone was ‘likely’ equipped with explosives.
Lithuanian officials indicated that the drone most likely entered from neighboring Belarus and stayed within Lithuanian airspace for approximately 30 minutes before being intercepted.
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Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Rutte said that strikes ‘close to NATO territory’ demonstrated Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desperation and his intent to sow fear and terror.
Rutte added that Russia is becoming increasingly reckless in its ongoing war against Ukraine, and pledged to reinforce NATO defenses along its eastern flank.
Debris of what, according to the Lithuanian national crisis management centre, was a drone shot down by a NATO fighter jet, lies on the ground near Pratkunai village, Lithuania, September 15, 2026, in this screengrab from a handout video. (Lithuanian Army/Handout via Reuters)
On Tuesday, Denmark reported that a Russian frigate fired flares at a Danish military helicopter conducting routine surveillance over the Baltic Sea. Denmark subsequently summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the incident.
Meanwhile, Russia continued launching drone strikes across Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of three people in Kyiv, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv remains ready to support de‑escalation provided the United States can assure Russia of a cease‑fire. He also noted that Ukrainian forces struck an oil refinery in Syzran and hit a drone production facility in Taganrog.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.