drones fly over Lithuania without detection as military finds internal combustion engine

Lithuanian military officials said on Monday that an object believed to be a drone crossed the country’s border overnight and crashed in Varėna district without being detected.

Major Gintautas Ciunis, a spokesman for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, told reporters at a briefing that investigators have recovered debris from the crash site, including an internal combustion engine commonly used in drones. No explosives were found, but he cautioned that their absence does not rule out their prior presence.

“The object was not detected by the military or border guards during the night,” Ciunis said. “We are still collecting evidence and examining the wreckage.”

Video footage obtained by LRT shows a flying object emitting a buzzing sound before exploding near Lake Lavysas in the early hours of Monday. Local residents reported hearing a loud blast around 3:00 a.m. and seeing flames and burning debris.

Vytautas Labednykas, a resident of Žiūrai village, told LRT that he heard a drone-like noise and saw the object fly low over his property before a powerful explosion shook the area.

“The blast was so strong it rattled the windows,” he said. “I went outside but saw nothing. Later, I drove to Lavys village, about three kilometers away, and found police and rescue services already at the scene.”

The military has activated its “SKYDAS” (Shield) response plan at the site, though the drone wreckage remains partially submerged in the lake.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has called an emergency meeting of the National Security Commission in response to the incident.