NATO jets scramble as drone crashes in Lithuania near Latvia border

A drone triggered an air alert in Lithuania and Latvia on Sunday, prompting NATO fighter jets to scramble before the aircraft crashed near Pasvalys, Lithuania, close to the Latvian border. The incident occurred during a Ukrainian nighttime attack on St. Petersburg. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Russia's war is spreading to NATO's eastern flank, though the drone's origin remains unidentified. The device likely entered Lithuanian airspace from Poland, and authorities are investigating a possible sabotage act, according to Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius. The crash marks the first serious incident since NATO jets downed a stray Russian drone over Lithuania on September 15. Authorities sent mobile alerts urging residents to shelter behind two walls, and the alerts were lifted shortly after 05:00 GMT.