Nato fighter jets scrambled to destroy drone just hours after Russian frigate fires flares at Danish helicopter

NATO military jets have been scrambled to shoot down a drone in Lithuania as Putin continues his hybrid war on Europe. It came just hours after a Russian frigate fired flares at a Danish defence helicopter and a drone was discovered on a beach in Poland. Local reports said the drone entered Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus – a dictatorship run by Putin-puppet Alexander Lukashenko. An urgent warning was sent to phones in Vilnius, Trakai and Elektrėnai, just after midnight local time. It warned of a potential drone entering Lithuania‘s territory and urged residents to find a safe place. Around half an hour later, authorities reported that the aircraft had been shot down and destroyed in the air by Nato forces. Read More in World News It is the first drone to be shot down in Lithuanian territory by Nato allies. On Sunday, a fighter jet was scrambled and Vilnius airport was closed after a drone threat was reported. But the aircraft turned out to be a flock of birds and the airport was reopened within 38 minutes, after the jet spotted the birds, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre said. It added: “On initial radar readings, marks left by birds and drones can be similar.” Most read in The Sun Though Sunday’s suspected drone incursion turned out to be a false alarm, the aircraft that crossed into Nato airspace on Monday night was shot down near Pratkūnai, near Kaišiadorys. The town is more than 30 miles from the border with Belarus. Local reports said it had been flying near a hydroelectric power plant. It was initially reported the drone had been destroyed near Navasiolkai, Alytus. Head of the National Crisis Management Centre Vilmantas Vitkauskas said the drone had been spotted near Trakai, just 14miles from the Lithuanian capital. Nato’s Baltic Air Defence mission has patrolled the skies of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia since the countries joined the alliance in 2004. The mission’s jets shot down drones over Estonia in May and over Latvia in June and August. It comes as Danish armed forces said in a statement that one of its helicopters “was fired at with flares today in connection with routine photo coverage of a Russian frigate”. The vessel had been in international waters off Gedser when it fired two flares at the Danish chopper, one of which “passed within a short distance of the helicopter”, it added. The same day, a drone, likely Russian, was found washed up on a beach in Poland, the country’s deputy PM said. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz shared a photo of the aircraft on X, writing: “More and more data indicates that the Russians likely lost a new model of Gerbera-type drone.” According to RMF24, the drone carried a small amount of explosives, designed to self destruct, but was not fitted with a warhead. It comes as Mad Vlad ramps up his use of hybrid warfare and grey zone tactics to try and scare Nato countries into stopping support for Ukraine. Lithuanian president Gitanas Nausėda wrote on X: “A drone that just entered Lithuanian airspace was destroyed by NATO fighter jets. “I thank Allied personnel for their swift response. “With Russia intensifying its aggression against Ukraine, such readiness is vital for our region. “Together with our NATO Allies, Lithuania will defend its airspace.” It follows a drone attack in Ukraine that may have targeted a train carrying former PM Boris Johnson. The ex-PM was on a train around a mile from the Polish border when the service behind his was blown up by Putin’s forces. Ukraine’s state railway company said Johnson’s train had left Yahodyn station earlier than expected, and it could have been Russia’s target. The firm, Ukrzaliznytsia, said in a statement: “It is entirely possible that the Russian drone’s intended target was the diplomatic train.” It added that the service “departed the station earlier than scheduled after train timetables were adjusted in real time because of the constant threat of Russian strikes”.