مقاتلات الناتو تسقط مسيّرة فوق ليتوانيا وسط استنفار جوي في بولندا

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace, as Poland raised its air alert level in anticipation of the repercussions of ongoing Russian attacks on Ukraine, just less than 24 hours after a suspected Russian drone was found off the Polish coast in the Baltic Sea.

The Lithuanian authorities announced in the early hours of Tuesday that the drone was shot down near the village of Pratkonai in the central southern part of the country, close to the city of Kaunas.

According to information relayed by Lithuania's national television and radio from the Crisis Management Center, the drone entered from the direction of Belarus and was heading west into Lithuanian airspace.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated in a post during the early hours of Tuesday that "a drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets," emphasizing that enhancing defensive readiness has become extremely important for the region as Russian attacks on Ukraine escalate.

Alert in Poland

In Poland, the air force activated its fighter jets as a precautionary measure in conjunction with Russia's drone attacks on Ukraine.

This step came after the Polish army announced on Monday that it had found a suspected Russian drone in the waters of the Baltic Sea off the northern coast of the country.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the army was able to locate the drone and retrieve it from the sea near the beach of Rusinowo, close to Jarosławiec.

He added that the initial examination showed that the drone was "of Russian military origin."

For its part, the Polish armed forces stated that the drone appears to be of the "Gerbera" model, which is a low-cost, long-range drone made from lightweight materials including plywood and foam.

Gerbera drones are often used as decoy aircraft to confuse air defense systems, but they can also be equipped to carry explosives.

The drone was retrieved by a hydrographic vessel off the coast of the village of Rusinowo.

Lithuania Commends Allies' Solidarity

For his part, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis welcomed the military action of the allies, thanking the countries whose presence contributed to protecting the airspace and enhancing the country's security.

Landsbergis stated that the incident is a clear example of "the unity and determination of the allies," adding that the message conveyed by the action is that NATO is "vigilant, committed, and ready."

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are members of NATO, located on the eastern flank of the alliance near Russia, and have experienced repeated incidents of drone incursions on their territories since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine.

In May, a NATO fighter jet shot down a Ukrainian drone over Estonia, marking the first interception of a foreign drone in the airspace of one of the Baltic states since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Concerns Over Escalating Provocations

These developments come at a time when fears are increasing within NATO countries located on the eastern border regarding the potential escalation of aerial incidents and provocations related to the war in Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has repeatedly warned that NATO countries must prepare for an increase in what he described as provocations coming from Moscow.

In a separate development, a Russian drone struck a passenger train in Ukraine near the border with Poland on Sunday, shortly after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and several foreign diplomats used the same railway line.