NATO Scrambles Jets as Lithuania Issues Drone Alert

NATO scrambled at least one fighter jet from Siauliai in northern Lithuania following a possible drone observation in Lithuanian airspace. Residents of the capital, Vilnius, received a government Level 2 Alert instructing them to seek shelter and stay away from suspicious objects. While one source reports that the Vilnius airport was closed, another notes that the Vilnius marathon continued without interruption. These events occur amid a broader pattern of drones entering the airspace of NATO countries along the eastern border, linked to the ongoing conflict following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

In other developments, Russia targeted a truck near the Ukraine and Poland border, which briefly disrupted operations at the Dorohusk-Yahodyn crossing. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated it targeted infrastructure used for transporting military cargo from Europe. Meanwhile, the head of Russia's Rosatom accused Ukraine of hitting fuel trucks near the Russian controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. In Russia, the mayor of Nizhnekamsk reported that Ukrainian drones hit civilian and industrial targets, resulting in at least two deaths and several injuries. Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the Nizhnekamsk attack but claimed to have hit a refinery in the Krasnodar region.