ARCHIVE – Flags of NATO member states wave in the wind in front of the NATO summit venue. Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis/AP/dpa
Keystone
Following several drone incidents in the Baltic states, another unknown drone has been discovered on Lithuanian soil. According to the National Crisis Management Center, a crashed flying object was found in a field in the Utena district. It is possibly a military drone. So far, there are no signs that the drone has exploded. According to a radio report, the exact circumstances of the incident are now being investigated.
There was initially no information on the origin and type of missile. However, initial information indicated that it was a Ukrainian drone, said the head of the crisis management center, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, according to Lithuanian media reports in Vilnius. According to the report, security forces are investigating the site where the drone was found, the crash of which was reported to the authorities by local residents.
It initially remained unclear when and how the missile entered Lithuanian airspace and crashed. Utena is located in the north-east of the Baltic EU and NATO country, close to the border with Latvia and Russia’s ally Belarus.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than four years. In the reciprocal drone war, the aircraft, which are defended against by electronic means, also pose a threat to neighboring countries. In recent Ukrainian attacks, misguided drones have repeatedly penetrated the airspace of the Baltic states and in some cases crashed, which Kiev had used to attack targets in north-western Russia.