Ukraine does not allow drones to fly over Lithuanian territory, prime minister says

Ukraine is not permitting its drones to enter Lithuanian airspace during attacks on Russia, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė stated on Tuesday, clarifying that a drone crash reported last week resulted from a technical malfunction that sent the aircraft off course.

“I want to assure you that drones are not being allowed to fly over our territory. The drone we detected last week had simply gone astray, which can happen when its control systems fail,” Ruginienė told reporters in Vilnius.

She emphasised that Lithuania maintains close coordination with Ukrainian authorities, including direct discussions between prime ministers and a recent visit by Lithuania’s defence minister to Ukraine.

Her comments follow a series of drone incidents in the Baltic region. Estonia’s defence forces issued an air threat alert late Monday after detecting unauthorised aerial activity near its border, later confirming drone debris was found in Tartu County. Latvia also reported an unidentified drone approaching its airspace the same evening. Ruginienė confirmed Lithuania had not recorded any airspace violations overnight.

Last week, multiple drones were detected and exploded in the Baltics, with officials suspecting they were Ukrainian-operated systems that veered off course after being directed at targets in Russia. One drone crashed onto the frozen surface of Lake Lavyso in Varėna district, near the Belarusian border. Ukraine later expressed regret over the incident through diplomatic channels.

Baltic officials have framed the incidents as a consequence of Russia’s full-scale aggression, warning of potential recurrence as long as the conflict continues.