NATO jets down Russian drone over Lithuania

On September 15, 2026, NATO fighter jets shot down a Russian drone carrying explosives over Lithuania, after it entered the country's airspace from neighboring Belarus. The drone was brought down near the village of Pratkūnai, about 100 kilometers west of Vilnius. This was the first time a drone was shot down over Lithuanian territory. The incident occurred just a day after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that Russian attacks near NATO territory would lead to increased support for Ukraine. The drone incursion highlights the growing threat from Russian and Belarusian drone operations along NATO's eastern flank.