Following confirmation that a drone carrying explosives entered Lithuanian airspace in late July, the country’s defence and foreign ministers have called on NATO allies to deploy anti-drone capabilities on Lithuanian territory.
Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė and Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys addressed the issue during a press conference Tuesday, stating they had sent a joint letter to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte requesting additional air defence support.
“We are asking to deploy certain capabilities – even if they are experimental – in our territory, to test how we can operate under changing conditions,” Šakalienė said.
The ministers urged NATO partners to consider deploying emerging, cost-effective technologies designed to detect and neutralise drones – systems that are still being tested in other countries but could be effective in the Baltic region’s increasingly tense environment.
Šakalienė emphasised the importance of turning this security challenge into a training opportunity for allied forces. “We want our partners to use this complex situation to train experimental capabilities. Realistic conditions in a threatened area are exactly what our allies value,” she said.
Budrys noted that the drone, identified as a Gerbera model, entered Lithuania from Belarus and crashed at the Gaižiūnai military training area. Military specialists found and neutralised approximately two kilograms of explosives on it.
“This is not only a violation of Lithuanian airspace and security – it’s a threat to NATO and EU security,” Budrys said.
The ministers said their letter to Rutte also emphasised the need for additional air defence measures and for NATO to demonstrate solidarity by protecting “every inch of airspace”.
The incident marked the second time in a month that a drone believed to have originated from Belarus violated Lithuanian airspace. The military suspects both drones may have been diverted by Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė confirmed Tuesday that explosives were found in the crashed drone and were safely dismantled.
Lithuanian officials are investigating multiple scenarios, but the incidents have heightened concerns about regional airspace security amid ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine.
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