NATO jets down drone in Lithuanian airspace after bloc warns strikes will drive support for Ukraine

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace overnight, officials said Tuesday, less than a day after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that strikes close to the alliance's territory would drive the trans-Atlantic organization to increase its support for Kyiv.

The drone was downed near the village of Pratkūnai in the Kaišiadorys district, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) west of the country's capital, Vilnius, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center said Tuesday.

Lithuania’s military said that the incident marked the first time that a drone had been shot down in the country’s airspace. Authorities didn’t comment on the drone’s origin or purpose, saying the incident needed further investigation.

The incursion follows a speech by Rutte on Monday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he said that strikes “close to NATO territory” showed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “desperation and also his desire to sow fear and terror.”

“Russia is growing increasingly reckless as it continues its terrible war against Ukraine,” Rutte said. He also pledged to bolster the 32-nation alliance's own defenses along its long eastern border with Russia.

The menace of drones has repeatedly loomed over the skies of Lithuania, which shares borders with Belarus, a key ally of Moscow, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

Antanas Matutis, commander of the Lithuanian air force, said that the wreckage had been found, and the drone “likely” was carrying explosives.

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the crisis center, told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT that the drone most likely entered from Belarus. It remained in Lithuanian airspace for about 30 minutes and flew along the outskirts of populated areas before being intercepted, he said.

Meanwhile, Russian drone strikes continued across Ukraine following a social media post from U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed “not to hit” each other’s energy infrastructure.

Trump didn't offer further details on the purported agreement, and Russia didn't immediately comment on Trump’s post. Previous efforts to broker even a partial ceasefire have repeatedly fallen apart within hours, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Monday that Kyiv was “ready to support de-escalation.”

“We see that the Russians feel the pressure from our precise strikes on Russia’s war economy. And so far, no one has seen any genuine desire on Russia’s part to move toward ending the war,” he said. “But if our American partners can ensure that Russia is genuinely ready to stop this war aimed at destroying life — and to do so for real and for the long term — Ukraine will take its own de-escalatory steps.”

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said Tuesday that eight people were wounded in Russian strikes on Kyiv since the start of the day, including two who were wounded in strikes on the capital's gas stations.

Elsewhere, Russian forces shot down 222 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

A “massive” Ukrainian drone attack sparked several fires in the Russian city of Taganrog, regional Gov. Yuri Slyusar said. He said on Telegram that two apartment buildings and three private homes had been damaged, as well as an educational institution, agricultural warehouses and a site belonging to Russian e-retailer Ozon.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early this morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 90km (55,9 miles) northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo) CAPTION CORRECTION: corrects removes byline attribution

Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 90km (55,9 miles) northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo) corrects and removes byline attribution

Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early this morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 90km (55,9 miles) northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo) CAPTION CORRECTION: corrects removes byline attribution

Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early this morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 90km (55,9 miles) northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Monaco's Foreign Minister Isabelle Berro-Amadei walks past the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 90km (55,9 miles) northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

Lithuanian soldiers are securing the area where Italian fighter jets during NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission shot down a drone early this morning near Pratkunai village, Kaisiadorys district some 90km (55,9 miles) northwest of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)

LONDON & MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 15, 2026--

Axo Longevity today announced the close of an oversubscribed $5M seed round to expand its preventive health membership across Europe.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260910642125/en/

The round was backed by MS&AD Ventures, Izou Partners, LifeX Ventures, Everywhere Ventures, UNQ, 51 Ventures, Cistern Capital and NIAN Sports & Entertainment, alongside angel investors including Dr. Jorge Planas of Clinica Planas Barcelona and Daniel Kulle, former President of H&M and former CEO of Forever 21.

Developed to help people understand what is happening inside their body before symptoms appear, Axo Longevity moved from build to live operations in just twelve weeks. The platform is expanding globally, now operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as in its first Latin American market, Peru. It is supported by more than 1,400 laboratory locations through certified partners including Randox, Sussex Pathology, Eurofins, MDI Limbach and Multilab. More than 19,000 people have joined the waitlist.

Its core membership, called Axo Longevity Care, costs 490 euros a year and includes two comprehensive blood panels analysing 100+ biomarkers each time, with an Axo Health Score and biological age, and personalised health plans. Membership starts from 190 euros a year. Members book a blood draw at a partner laboratory, receive results measured against optimal ranges rather than population averages, and retest six months later to track what has changed.

"I looked healthy. I trained, I ate well, I had no symptoms. If I had graded my health from one to ten, I would have said nine. In reality I was closer to a six," said Andrew McCarthy, Co-founder and CEO of Axo Longevity. "A full biomarker panel showed cardiovascular risk indicators that would have gone undetected for years. We’re building a service for what happens after the test."

Axo Longevity’s clinical team is led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Niko Mihic, Medical Supervisor at Real Madrid FC, former Head of NBA Research in Europe and NFL Europe Medical Consultant, who was named by Forbes as one of Spain's 25 most influential healthcare providers. Andy Walshe, PhD, Executive Longevity Advisor, is the former Head of High Performance at Red Bull and currently advises the US, UK and Australian Olympic teams.

"Consumer health companies usually fail on operations, not on science," said Jon Soberg, CEO and Managing Partner of MS&AD Ventures. "Axo Longevity is live in six countries with Europe’s largest working laboratory network and members returning for repeat testing. That kind of infrastructure and engagement is much harder than launching a single market - and that’s exactly the kind of execution we look for."

Axo Longevity’s advisors include Michael Johnson, twelve time Olympic and World Champion; Mario Schlosser, co-founder of Oscar Health; Eric Solomon, former top exec at Google, YouTube, Spotify and Instagram; and Rosa Hamalainen, who helped scale Rupa Health.

"Europe has exceptional clinical infrastructure, but for consumers it is fragmented, and they might only be able to access it when they are sick," explains Sergio Tang, Co-founder and Chief Product and Growth Officer. "We are delivering a single membership experience that works seamlessly and equips people with a data-driven understanding of their health - and a clear action plan of exactly what to do next.

"This funding will allow us to grow our laboratory network, continue to develop our AI health copilot and wearable integrations, and expand our services into the Nordics, Italy and Portugal."

About Axo Longevity

Axo Longevity is a global preventive health membership, now operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as in its first Latin American market, Peru. Members receive comprehensive biomarker testing, a personalised health blueprint and ongoing tracking through Axo Longevity’s platform. Founded in 2025 by Andrew McCarthy, Sergio Tang and Octavia Seymour. Learn more at www.axolongevity.com

Imagery of the founders is available for download here.

Axo Longevity preventive health membership