EU Commissioner called on Baltic states to create a drone shield
Kyiv • UNN
EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius calls on Lithuania and the Baltic states to create a drone shield and establish mass production of drones after a Russian "Gerbera" drone flew into Lithuanian territory. He emphasizes the need to train specialists for rapid drone production.
European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius calls on Lithuania and other Baltic countries to create a drone barrier and establish mass production of drones. He made the relevant statement after a Russian Gerbera drone flew into Lithuanian territory from Belarus last week, UNN reports with reference to Delfi.
This shows that the possibility of such a drone penetrating Lithuanian territory exists. Is Lithuania ready to defend itself against such drones, does it have sufficient capabilities? This question remains unanswered. Therefore, I always urge Lithuania and the countries of the region to take care of creating a so-called eastern border protection plan, a physical protection plan, primarily by installing a whole series of physical barriers on the ground. In my opinion, such a plan should include not only a physical border, but also the creation of a drone barrier.
In May last year, then-Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė announced that the countries of the region had agreed to create a so-called drone barrier, for which unmanned aerial vehicles would be used to monitor the border section. Anti-drone systems will also be used, which make it possible to stop enemy countries from using drones for smuggling.
However, as of early March this year, Lithuania and Estonia have not received EU funding for this project. According to Kubilius, there are "not too many" signs of Lithuania and the Baltic countries' readiness to repel possible drone attacks from Russia.
Therefore, today it is not so much about producing drones or buying them and storing them in a warehouse, but about training and preparing teams of specialists who could very quickly produce the necessary number of drones for this barrier.
Addition
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that the German military is ready to defend NATO's eastern flank, including Lithuania, from a possible Russian attack. Germany has already realized the need for rearmament and increased defense spending.