Downed drone found by resident in Utena district, debris does not resemble Shahed model

A downed drone discovered in Lithuania’s Utena district was found by a local resident mowing grass, with authorities stating the debris does not match the characteristics of a Shahed-type drone, LRT reports.

Mindaugas Puskunigis, deputy head of the Utena district’s chief police commissariat, told journalists on Monday that the drone was located in a field near Samanė village after a resident reported the wreckage to police. Preliminary assessments indicate no signs of explosives, and the fragments do not resemble those of a Shahed drone.

Search operations resumed Monday morning, with some debris visible on the surface while other pieces are embedded in the ground. An explosives specialist and police officers are working at the site, which remains cordoned off for safety. Residents of nearby homes have been asked to temporarily evacuate, with one household relocated about 300 metres from the crash site.

Utena district mayor Mindaugas Kaukėnas confirmed that local authorities were not notified by emergency services about the incident. The National Crisis Management Centre first reported the discovery on Sunday evening, classifying the drone as potentially military and of Ukrainian origin.

This is not the first time drones have entered and crashed in Lithuanian territory.