An explosive-like object found on a beach in Klaipeda on Tuesday night has been identified as part of a Russian missile launcher, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said on Wednesday.
The part of the 9M335 missile (SA-22 Greyhound according to the NATO classification) is designed to ensure the missile’s initial acceleration and stabilise its flight immediately after launch, it said.
It is likely that the part of the missile was fired from the Pantsir-M air defence system of a Russian naval vessel. According to NATO, this is a medium-range air defence system with an operation area of up to 20 km at range and 15 km at altitude.
The fragment was spotted on Tuesday night washed up on the First Melnragė beach in Klaipėda. According to the Klaipeda District Police, a report of an explosive-like object was received at around 18:00.
The first naval personnel to arrive at the scene found the object to be non-hazardous and took it to a safe place.
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