Lithuanian presidential national security adviser Marius Česnulevičius said Tuesday he has no confirmed information about a reported incident in which a drone allegedly flew from Lithuania into Belarus and dropped red-and-white flags.
Speaking to the radio Žinių Radijas, Česnulevičius said Belarus may have fabricated the story but added that it is also possible that activists in Lithuania launched such a drone.
“At this point I really cannot provide precise information. Several scenarios are possible,” he said. “In line with the old saying ‘he hits himself and then he cries’, it could be a provocation of their own making. But you also cannot rule out some activists.”
Česnulevičius said the incident requires a detailed investigation.
Belarus summoned Lithuania’s chargé d’affaires last week to lodge a protest over a drone that allegedly entered Belarusian airspace on November 30. According to Minsk, debris analysis showed the unmanned aerial vehicle was manufactured in Western Europe and had a preplanned route that included flying over Belarus, crossing into Poland and then returning to its launch point in Lithuania.
In recent months, the flights of smuggling balloons from Belarus have repeatedly disrupted operations at Vilnius Airport and, on one occasion, at Kaunas Airport.
After Lithuania restricted operations at several border checkpoints with Belarus for several weeks, Minsk responded by refusing to allow Lithuania-registered trucks to leave for Lithuania.
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