Lithuania has called on NATO to take swift action to reinforce its air defence systems following the discovery that a Russian military drone, which recently violated its airspace, was equipped with explosives.
The incident, which occurred on July 28, involved an unmanned aircraft that entered Lithuanian territory and was reportedly observed flying over parts of the capital, Vilnius. Authorities later recovered the drone at a military training site on August 1.
In response, Lithuania’s Foreign and Defence Ministers jointly appealed to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, requesting urgent support to enhance the country’s air defence posture amid heightened regional security concerns.
The appeal comes as tensions remain elevated between NATO members and Russia, with the Baltic states increasingly on edge over airspace intrusions and hybrid threats.
Prosecutor-general Nida Grunskiene said it was “carrying an explosive device, which was successfully neutralised by Lithuanian armed forces specialists at the scene”.
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“One of the main theories of the investigation is that the unmanned aircraft accidentally entered Lithuanian territory.
“I would like to stress that other theories are being investigated in parallel,” she said.
Officials believe it to be a Russian-made Gerbera drone — a type usually used as a decoy in Russia’s strikes against Ukraine.
Budrys noted that the latest airspace breach marked the second such incident in under a month, adding that similar violations had also been reported by other allied nations in recent weeks.
He described the situation as a “real and growing” threat, stressing that neighbouring Belarus — a close ally of Moscow — bore responsibility for preventing such incursions.
According to him, if Belarus failed to act to reduce the risk of further violations and potential damage, Lithuania would be compelled to respond with both political and other measures.