Lithuania drone crash: Ukraine apologizes after air alert

Debris has damaged a moving car in Lithuania, where NATO jets were scrambled. Kyiv says Russian jamming may have diverted drones targeting Russia.

Ukraine apologized Sunday after a suspected drone crashed in northern Lithuania, prompting shelter warnings and the deployment of NATO fighter jets.

The incident raised fresh concerns about the spillover of Russia's war against Ukraine into NATO territory, although the drone's origin and whether it carried explosives remained under investigation.

What happened in Lithuania?

Lithuanian authorities told residents in central and northern regions to seek shelter Sunday morning after detecting an unidentified flying object.

Debris damaged a moving civilian vehicle, but no one was injured, national crisis management centre chief Vilmantas Vitkauskas told Lithuanian radio.

Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the drone probably entered from neighboring Poland. He proposed a joint investigation with Warsaw.

Two Italian Eurofighter jets operating under NATO command were deployed, a NATO spokesperson said. Kaunas said weather conditions prevented visual identification.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google by clicking here and hitting the "star" or "preferred" button, so you'll always see our verified news first.