NATO’s September 15 interception of a suspected Russian Geran-2/ Gerbera-type drone over Lithuania by Italian Eurofighters under the Baltic Air Policing mission marked the alliance’s first kinetic engagement against such an aircraft in Lithuanian airspace. The incursion originated from Belarus amid Russia’s ongoing strikes on Ukraine, with debris analysis and official statements pointing to Russian origin and possible explosive payload. Similar airspace violations have occurred repeatedly in 2026 across the Baltics, Poland, and Romania, frequently linked to Russian electronic warfare diverting drones or direct probes testing NATO responses. These incidents have prompted expanded air policing, heightened alerts, and statements from NATO leaders tying spillover risks to increased support for Ukraine. Continued Russian missile and drone campaigns near NATO borders, combined with scheduled alliance air-defense enhancements, remain the main near-term catalysts for additional interceptions.