Lithuanian authorities are coordinating plans to further strengthen the country’s air defence, newly appointed Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Tuesday after being sworn in.
“Interinstitutional discussions on this are underway, and a financing plan is being worked out. We will find the solutions needed to reinforce our defence, particularly air defence,” Kaunas told reporters.
In his speech during the ministerial handover ceremony at the Defence Ministry, Kaunas highlighted air defence as a top priority. He said the State Defence Council, chaired by President Gitanas Nausėda, is scheduled to meet on November 18 to discuss the issue.
Deividas Matulionis, the president’s chief national security adviser, said it is not yet clear how additional air defence needs would be financed.
“We will most likely discuss additional air defence needs, but whether this will be funded from extra resources or within the existing budget, I cannot say today,” Matulionis said.
The government’s draft 2026 budget allocates 5.38 percent of GDP, or about 4.8 billion euros, for national defence, the largest commitment in Lithuania’s history.
“The 5.38 percent is the figure we must stick to, and we will do everything to ensure the parliament approves it. This is our key commitment,” Matulionis said.
Air defence has become a central issue since last summer, when two Russian stray Gerbera drones entered Lithuanian airspace, one carrying explosives. In recent weeks, the country’s airspace has also been repeatedly violated by smuggling balloons launched from Belarus, forcing temporary closures of Vilnius Airport and the border in late October.
In October, two Russian aircraft also briefly entered Lithuanian airspace.
The incidents are part of a broader pattern of Russian airspace violations across Europe, raising fears that Moscow is testing NATO’s defences in the so-called “grey zone” between war and peace.
In response, NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry in early September to bolster air and missile defences along the alliance’s eastern flank, following reports of Russian drone flights over Poland and unidentified drones in Denmark.
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