Lithuania drone crash linked to Russian aggression, NATO jets unable to intercept

An unidentified drone crashed in Lithuania on October 18 after entering the country's airspace, with NATO fighter jets unable to shoot it down due to weather conditions. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda linked the incident to Russian aggression against Ukraine. The drone was detected by Lithuanian radars around 6 a.m., possibly entering from Poland. NATO jets from Šiauliai air base were scrambled but failed to intercept the object. Lithuania has contacted Polish authorities, who sent a search team to the Lublin region, though Poland did not confirm a border violation. Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said military procedures may be reviewed, while police investigate reports of a damaged car. This follows a similar incident in September when NATO jets shot down a drone believed to have entered from Belarus. Lithuania is also testing Ukraine's SkyFortress drone detection system.