Lithuania admitted the possibility of a Ukrainian drone crash. Nausėda called the incident a consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
The Lithuanian Minister of Defense stated that the drone that crashed in the Varėna district could have been Ukrainian, having gone off course due to electronic warfare. Gitanas Nausėda warned about the impossibility of avoiding such incidents.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says that the drone that crashed in the Varėna district in southeastern Lithuania is a consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine, and, unfortunately, as long as the war continues, no one can guarantee that such incidents will not recur in the future, UNN reports with reference to LRT.
Details
Early on Monday morning, a drone flew into Lithuania. It exploded over Lake Lavysas, but the object that crossed Lithuanian airspace was not detected by military radars. This is not the first such incident where foreign drones fly into Lithuania. The Lithuanian Minister of National Defense claimed that "the drone that flew into Lithuania was most likely Ukrainian and could have been lost due to the influence of electronic warfare."
According to Nausėda, not only Lithuania but also neighboring countries face the problem of drones flying into the country from another country.
"Unfortunately, we have to state that drones – of Russian or Ukrainian origin – deviate from their course, from their main purpose, and pose a threat to neighboring countries," said the President of Lithuania.
First of all, Nausėda noted, we must pay attention to drone detection capabilities: "We still state that our territory is worse covered when drones fly at low altitudes – up to 300 meters. In this case, this was exactly the case."
According to the president, Lithuania has plans for protection against approaching drones, but, unfortunately, it is impossible to implement all plans here and now. "It's not like anti-drone equipment is placed on store shelves and you can buy it all at once. There are certain supply and production plans. They are very clearly known," Nausėda stated.
As he emphasized, such incidents are a consequence of Russia's war against Ukraine: "No one can guarantee that such incidents will not happen in the future – neither we, nor Poland, nor other states."
According to the President of Lithuania, "it's not as if the sky is clear," but Nausėda agreed that Ukraine does not destroy all drones launched by Russia – some cannot be captured. "100% effectiveness would be ideal, but even a state that improves its equipment and technology in wartime does not achieve 100% effectiveness. It is impossible to do," said the President of Lithuania.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stated that "the drone that crashed and exploded in the Varėna district was most likely Ukrainian and could have gone off course due to the influence of electronic warfare," the publication writes.
"It is quite likely that it is a Ukrainian drone that, under the influence of electronic warfare, went off course and fell on us," Kaunas said on Tuesday.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene confirmed the words of the Minister of Defense on Tuesday.
"The drone that crossed our airspace and flew into the Varėna district was a Ukrainian drone, and it is related to the operation that the Ukrainians carried out that night against Russia," the Lithuanian Prime Minister, quoted by LRT, told journalists on Tuesday after a meeting of the National Security Commission.
"Even now, we can say with certainty that it was a drone that went off course," she added.
She urged not to speculate about what kind of object it was, noting that the ongoing investigation would provide an answer to this question.
"Assumptions are already appearing in the public space as to whether it could have been a so-called 'Shahed' type drone or another object, but so far such assumptions have not been confirmed, so speculating would be irresponsible," I. Ruginiene emphasized.
"I also very much ask the public not to disseminate unverified information, not to publish unverified video materials, but to immediately transfer them to the relevant services. (...) The services act actively according to developed algorithms, but in this process, civil society also plays an important role by reacting and promptly transmitting information," the Lithuanian Prime Minister added.
The head of the Lithuanian government emphasized that this is not a local incident, but "part of a broader security reality," in which Russia's aggression against Ukraine creates additional risks for the region and complicates the forecasting of such events.
"Therefore, the state consistently strengthens its air defense, detection, and response capabilities, and will strengthen them further - faster, more accurately, and with even greater attention to preventing such threats," Ruginiene said.