Statements by Lithuanian officials banning other countries from using the country’s airspace for drone attacks are aimed at countering Russian disinformation, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Thursday.
“The president, the foreign minister, and I responsibly declare that this is false information. Lithuania has not granted its airspace to any warring state and has no intention of doing so,” Kaunas told LRT RADIO.
Russian media have recently published allegations that the Baltic states could allow their airspace to be used by Ukrainian drones, purportedly threatening the security of Kaliningrad.
NATO officials have dismissed these reports as disinformation, saying Ukrainian drones may have entered the Baltic region after being diverted from their course by Russian electronic warfare measures.
According to Kaunas, Russia is conducting a disinformation campaign aimed at drawing the Baltic states and other eastern NATO members into a confrontation.
He emphasised that while Lithuania supports Ukraine, it has never been and is not at war with Russia, making such claims “fake news”.
The remarks followed a warning from President Gitanas Nausėda that warring parties in Europe must not use Lithuanian territory for drone strikes.
Kaunas also stated that Lithuania has not received any request from Ukraine to use its airspace, stressing that such permission has not been, and will not be, granted to any state for military operations.
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