Two Italian Eurofighter jets scrambled on Tuesday after an unidentified drone entered Lithuanian airspace. A NATO official confirmed the operation, saying the aircraft acted under alliance command.
"We can confirm that this morning, two Italian Eurofighter jets were scrambled in response to the presence of a drone in Lithuanian airspace," the NATO official said. The alliance stated that an investigation is underway.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas told reporters that preliminary information suggests the object crossed the border from Poland. He added that he has already contacted the Polish defense minister to request a joint investigation.
Authorities confirmed that falling debris damaged a car travelling between Birzai and Pasvalys. No injuries were reported.
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said the driver heard an explosion before debris struck the vehicle. The impact dented a car door, and police cordoned off the area to gather evidence.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center, stated that the object was most likely a Ukrainian drone. He suggested it may have drifted off course during Kyiv’s strikes on Russia’s St Petersburg region.
Defense Minister Kaunas explained that poor weather conditions prevented the scrambled fighter pilots from visually identifying the object in the sky.
Kaunas also questioned why an air alert was issued only in northern Lithuania. He described the limited notification as strange and unacceptable, instructing the military to deliver a detailed report.
Authorities will examine whether public warnings were delayed during the incident. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Russia’s war against Ukraine is spilling over onto the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union.
"What appears to be a drone exploded over the northern part of the country, posing a danger to the civilian population," President Nauseda wrote on social media.
