Vilnius, September 15: NATO fighter jets shot down an unidentified drone over Lithuania after it entered the country’s airspace, prompting heightened security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank.

Lithuanian authorities said the drone was likely launched from neighbouring Belarus. The incident came amid growing tensions in the Baltic region linked to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

The development followed a separate incident in the Baltic Sea in which a Russian warship reportedly fired flares at a Danish military helicopter during a routine operation in international waters. Denmark condemned the incident as reckless and said it had lodged a formal complaint.

Poland has also increased its security measures after Russian drone activity near its border with Ukraine. Polish authorities are investigating the recovery of a suspected Russian drone in the Baltic Sea.

The incidents have renewed concerns among NATO members over airspace violations and potential spillover from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Lithuania said it would brief NATO and European Union partners as investigations into the drone incident continue.