Drone crosses into Lithuania from Belarus, fighter jet takes action

Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry plans to send a protest note to Belarus over a drone that entered the country’s airspace and was shot down near Kaunas on September 15, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said.

Earlier, Lithuania’s military reported that the drone had entered the country from the direction of Belarus, while Belarusian authorities had not notified Lithuania about the incident, LRT reports.

Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas said the drone had come from Belarus, although its operator and exact type remain unknown.

Kaunas also noted the fighter jet that intercepted and shot down the drone had protected not only Lithuania’s airspace but also that of NATO.

“This incident showed that we are capable of acting in a coordinated manner as one team, responding promptly, making the necessary decisions and neutralising objects that have entered Lithuanian territory, thereby ensuring the safety of our citizens,” Kaunas underlined. 

Commenting on the planned diplomatic response, Budrys said Lithuania routinely sends protest notes following airspace violations.

“In all cases when violations of airspace occur, we receive a report from the Air Force — when, where, the location, coordinates, what happened. In all cases, we prepare a note and always deliver it to the country from which, so to speak, the aircraft or other object came. In this case, we are talking about Belarus. When an investigation is conducted and the debris establishes whose drone it ultimately was, we will take further action as well,” Budrys said in the Seimas.

He added that Lithuania had officially informed its allies and partners about the incident and proposed discussing the matter within the European Union and NATO.

Lithuanian authorities said the drone was not carrying explosives, based on the information currently available.

By Vafa Guliyeva