Lithuania not alone in facing drone threats to airspace, says former military chief

Lithuania is not the only country struggling with drones violating its airspace, former defence chief Jonas Vytautas Žukas told ELTA news agency on Wednesday, as reported by LRT. He cautioned against blaming the military for failing to secure the skies, noting that even advanced surveillance and defence systems cannot guarantee full protection.

“This chaotic airspace situation exists not only in Lithuania but also in Latvia and Estonia—all frontline states face the same problem,” Žukas said. He pointed to Poland, where around 30 drones entered its territory undetected, sparking a scandal. “The issue affects us all. We need to solve it collectively, though the timelines are stretched.”

Žukas stressed that even with comprehensive radar and air defence systems, full coverage is impossible. He cited Ukraine’s experience, where drones continue to bypass anti-drone defences amid ongoing war. “We shouldn’t overreact or accuse the military of being unprepared, as some politicians do,” he added.

He argued that drones violating airspace must be downed when possible. “We have the means—man-portable air defence systems with a 4 km range, NASAMS, and NATO fighter jets. The decision to engage depends on risk assessment: whether shooting down a drone could endanger civilians or critical infrastructure.”

The comments follow recent incidents, including a drone striking an Estonian power plant on Wednesday morning, another exploding in Latvian airspace, and a Ukrainian drone crashing in Lithuania’s Varėna district on Monday night. Authorities confirmed the Varėna drone was Ukrainian but found no explosives at the site.