RUSSIA VS NATO: Lithuania Expands Air Defence Near Russia's Border, Bolsters Baltic Deterrence

NATO has agreed to upgrade its Baltic Air Policing mission into an air defence operation, granting allied fighter pilots broader authority to respond to aerial threats over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the move reflects a changing security environment and would allow pilots to destroy objects deemed to pose a threat. The mission, launched in 2004 after the Baltic states joined NATO, was previously focused on monitoring and escorting aircraft. The decision follows recent incidents, including NATO's interception of suspected stray drones over Estonia and Latvia, and marks one of the alliance's most significant Baltic mission upgrades since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
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