Recent drone incursions have tested NATO's eastern flank rules of engagement and counter-drone posture. An Italian NATO jet shot down a suspected Russian Geran-2 drone over Lithuania on September 14 after it entered from Belarus, marking the first such intercept in that airspace under the Baltic Air Policing mission. In mid-October, multiple suspected Russian drones struck merchant ships in the economic zones of Romania and Bulgaria, prompting alliance discussions on redeploying anti-drone systems and advancing the Drone Edge counter-drone initiative. On October 18, NATO fighters tracked an unidentified drone over Lithuania but could not engage due to identification requirements and weather, allowing the object to exit radar coverage. Heightened alerts across the Baltics, Poland, and Black Sea region reflect ongoing hybrid activity tied to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with NATO emphasizing verification before kinetic response.