Nato jets shoot down drone over Lithuania as Poland raises alert

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Vilnius: Nato fighter jets shot down a drone after it entered Lithuanian airspace, while Poland put its air force on alert following the discovery of a suspected Russian military drone in the Baltic Sea.

The drone over Lithuania was intercepted near Pratkunai, close to the city of Kaunas, after authorities issued an alert for the Vilnius region. Lithuanian officials said the drone had entered from neighbouring Belarus and was flying west.

President Gitanas Nauseda said the incident showed the importance of Nato's readiness as Russia continues its war against Ukraine.

Poland also scrambled fighter jets as a precaution during Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. Its military later recovered a drone from the Baltic Sea near Rusinowo on the northern coast.

Polish officials said an initial inspection suggested the drone was Russian. The aircraft was identified as a Gerbera, a relatively cheap drone that can be used as a decoy or fitted with explosives.

The latest incidents have increased security concerns among Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all Nato members bordering Russia and Belarus, amid repeated drone incursions since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Pic Credit: AFP