“The important question is: can people in Lithuania trust the system we are building, which is already partly in place? To demonstrate its reliability, we need clear evidence,” Kubilius told LRT Radio on Tuesday.
“We should not simply wait for one or two drones to fly into Lithuania, either after straying off course or being sent deliberately. We need to take the initiative and demonstrate that Lithuania’s air defence forces and its military can deal with potential challenges such as a dozen or so drones entering Lithuanian territory. I have yet to see that evidence,” he said.
“That is why I suspect Lithuania’s level of preparedness for such challenges is not yet high enough for us to confidently demonstrate that we really can deal with them,” he stressed.
In late September, Kubilius said Lithuania’s air threat detection system still had numerous shortcomings and that it was vital for the country to prepare not only to shoot down individual drones but also to identify and counter drone swarms.
As reported, a red-level air alert was issued in Panevėžys and Šiauliai counties after 7 am on Sunday because a flying object had entered Lithuanian airspace. The alert was lifted about an hour later.
However, according to Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius, the drone itself had been detected before 6 am.
According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the drone is suspected to have entered Lithuania from Poland. The prime minister confirmed this after a meeting of the National Security Commission on Monday. He said the drone was of Ukrainian origin and had been carrying explosives.
Wreckage from the crashed drone was found in the village of Juodžioniai in Pasvalys district. There were also reports of a possible explosion, but the authorities had not previously said whether the drone was carrying explosives.
Debris from the drone also damaged a passing car, but its passengers were unharmed.