NATO jets scramble as drone explodes in Lithuanian airspace

An unidentified object, likely a drone, entered Lithuanian airspace and exploded on Oct. 18, sending residents to shelters and damaging a civilian vehicle, according to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

The incident is the latest in a string of drone incursions along NATO's eastern flank, stoking concern that Russia's war in Ukraine is spilling over into NATO territory.

NATO fighter jets were scrambled in response to the incident, Nauseda said on social media. The jets were unable to identify the object because of cloudy weather and did not attempt to shoot it down.

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is spilling over onto the eastern flank of NATO and EU," the Lithuanian president said.

The object later disappeared from radar, possibly after exploding, and local officials investigated what appeared to be drone debris near the village of Juodzionys in northern Lithuania. There were no casualties.

Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a statement on social media that the incident may have been caused by Russian electronic warfare diverting Ukrainian drones from their intended targets.

"We apologize for any disruption, risks, and concern this may have caused," Tykhyi said.

"We sincerely thank Lithuania, our ally, for supporting Ukraine in countering Russian aggression, which is the root cause of the security threats in our region," he added.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the drone flew in from Poland, but the Polish Defense Ministry said its radar did not confirm the object crossing the border, according to Reuters.

There have been several similar incursions along NATO’s eastern flank in recent months. The previous day, Romanian fighter jets on Oct. 17 shot down two drones in Romanian national airspace.

The two drones were jet-powered, belonging to the Geran family of Shahed-style attack drones frequently used by Russia to attack targets in Ukraine, according to Romania's Defense Ministry. The ministry did not specify which nation the drones belonged to.

Earlier on Oct. 18, Lithuanian authorities thwarted an attempted arson attack on a company storing Starlink satellite communications equipment overnight, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said.

An investigation is underway to identify the perpetrator, and Sinkevicius said he believed Russian actors commissioned the attack.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said both these security incidents represent "a direct consequence of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and its wider repercussions for European security."

"Hybrid attacks, sabotage, and airspace incursions threaten critical infrastructure, spread fear, and seek to undermine European support for Ukraine," he added.