Eu Day Light

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Budrys announced that Italian fighter jets shot down a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle in eastern Latvia.

Budrys said in a social media post that the Italian fighter jets took off from the NATO air base in the Lithuanian city of Šiauliai and shot down a foreign UAV in eastern Latvia during the night.

Budrys said the incident was significant in terms of coordination among allied countries and the implementation of NATO decisions aimed at protecting Baltic airspace. He noted the need for continuous air surveillance, rapid response capabilities and strong air defense infrastructure in the Baltic states.

Budrys highlighted the importance of transforming the Baltic Air Policing mission into an air defense mission in line with decisions taken at the NATO summit in Ankara.