The government of Lithuania asked on Tuesday (5) the immediate reinforcement of the air defenses of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after finding, for the second time in less than a month, a Russian military drone with explosives within its territory. The announcement was made by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys, who released the situation in his official X (former Twitter) account and defended NATO urgent measures to protect the east border of the alliance.
“Last Monday, a Russian military drone violated Lithuania’s airspace. This is the second such incident in less than a month. Similar violations were also reported recently by other allies. These repeated incidents represent an alarming sign of the overflow of Russia’s aggression against NATO territory. We cannot compromise the safety of our country and citizens, nor the integrity of the air space. NATO. We should remain vigilant, because the threat is real and growing, ”said Budrys.
According to the minister, a joint letter was sent to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, charging “immediate measures to enhance air defense capabilities in Lithuania and accelerate the full implementation of the rotating air defense model.” Budrys added: “Air defense is vital to allies safety. Ensuring the protection of the NATO east flank should remain a top priority for the alliance.”
The drone was spotted by witnesses about areas of the capital, Vilnius, on August 1. According to Lithuanian Attorney General Nida Grunskiene, the equipment was “carrying an explosive device, which was successfully neutralized by Lithuanian Armed Forces experts on site.”
The prosecutor explained that one of the main lines of investigation considers the possibility that the drone was accidentally entered in Lithuanian territory, but stressed that other hypotheses follow in calculation.
“I would like to emphasize that other theories are being investigated in parallel,” said Grunskiene.
The drone model, identified as gerbera and russian manufacturing, is usually used as bait in Russian attacks against Ukraine to overload the Ukrainian air defenses. The presence of explosives equipment on Lithuanian soil increased the concern of local authorities with the safety of the region, especially in the current war context.
Russian influence under the sight of Eastern European authorities
While Lithuania remains attentive to Russia’s silent attacks, the Moldova Justice this week sentenced Evgenia Gutul, Gagauzia’s governor and Kremlin’s ally, seven years in prison for electoral fraud and illegal party funding from Russia. According to the prosecution, Gutul would have channeled funds to the party founded by businessman Pro-Russia Ilan Shoor. The case occurs on the eve of the country’s parliamentary elections and expanded the alert to attempts at Russian influence in the region.
