Lithuanian authorities said the drone downed near Pratkunai carried an explosive, while its national origin was still being examined. [S1][S4]
Verification result: verified, because no material claim is contradicted and two independent reporting families directly support the central account that NATO shot down the drone while its Russian origin was suspected rather than established. [S1][S2][S3][S4]
The strongest evidence is consistent reporting that an Italian NATO fighter intercepted the drone in Lithuanian airspace near Pratkunai on September 15. [S1][S2][S4]
Officials said the drone likely entered from Belarus shortly after midnight, remained in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes and was intercepted after flying near populated areas. [S2][S3]
Russian attribution remains a suspicion, not an established fact: Italy's defence minister said the drone most probably came from Russia, while Lithuanian authorities continued examining its origin. [S1][S2][S3]
The supplied reports contain no validated material contradiction about the shootdown; their substantive limitation is that officials were still investigating the drone's origin and purpose. [S1][S3][S4]
