NATO announced that it downed a drone that had entered Lithuanian airspace last night. This incident occurred less than a day after Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary General, warned about increased support for Kyiv in the event of attacks near NATO borders.
Details of the Incident
The drone was downed near the village of Pratkanai in the Kaunas region, about 100 kilometers west of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius. The National Crisis Management Center of Lithuania stated that this is the first time a drone has been downed in the airspace of this country. Officials have not yet commented on the source or target of the drone and have stated that this incident requires further investigation.
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Reactions to Russian Threats
This incident occurred after Rutte's speech on Monday at NATO headquarters in Brussels. In this speech, he stated that attacks near NATO airspace reflect Vladimir Putin's desperation and his desire to instill fear and panic. Rutte also promised to strengthen NATO's defense on its eastern border with Russia.
Antanas Matutis, the commander of the Lithuanian Air Force, announced that the remnants of the drone have been found and it is likely that this drone was carrying explosives. Vilma Neta Vitkauskas, head of the crisis center, told local media that the drone likely entered from Belarus and had flown in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes.
Continued Russian Attacks in Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russian drone attacks continue across Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, stated that Kyiv is ready to support de-escalation efforts. He said, "We see that the Russians are under pressure and there are still no signs of a genuine willingness from Russia to end the war."
The latest reports from Ukraine's state emergency services indicate that since the beginning of the day, eight people have been injured in Russian attacks on Kyiv, including two in attacks on gas stations in the capital. Additionally, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that its forces shot down 222 Ukrainian drones overnight.
Widespread Ukrainian attacks on Russia have also caused multiple fires in the city of Taganrog, Russia. Yuri Slyusar, the governor of the region, announced that two apartment buildings and three private houses have been damaged.
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Source: independent.co.uk
