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Italy's defence minister says downed Lithuania drone likely came from Russia
The assessment follows a NATO scramble near Vilnius after a suspected drone incursion.
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Italy's defence minister said a drone shot down by an Italian NATO fighter over Lithuania likely originated from Russia.
The incident is part of a wider pattern of drone incursions that NATO has documented along its eastern flank. NATO jets were scrambled in Lithuania over a possible drone near Vilnius on 14 September 2026, the same reporting found.
The minister's assessment comes as Russia has publicly signalled openness to talks on Ukraine and energy issues. The incursion adds to a record of hybrid activity that NATO tracks as a persistent, low-probability risk along its border with Russia and Belarus.