Lithuania’s airspace remains vulnerable as drone incident exposes gaps in defence

A suspected Ukrainian drone that crashed and exploded in Lithuania’s Varėna district over the weekend went undetected by border guards or the military, raising concerns over the country’s air defence capabilities, LRT reports.

The incident, which occurred late Sunday in the village of Lavysas, marks at least the second time in a year that an unmanned aerial vehicle has entered Lithuanian airspace unnoticed. While authorities later confirmed the drone was likely Ukrainian—intended for strikes inside Russia—experts warn the failure to detect it highlights systemic weaknesses in monitoring the country’s airspace.

Border guards: “Not our responsibility”
A representative of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) told LRT that tracking such drones falls outside their mandate, as their systems are designed to intercept smaller, contraband-carrying UAVs. Military analyst and reserve major Darius Antanaitis countered that airspace above the border is the service’s responsibility. “We often see reports of smugglers or migrants crossing the border, but the space above that border is just as critical,” he said.

Antanaitis criticised the lack of an integrated electro-optical surveillance system capable of detecting airborne threats from Belarusian territory. “Whether it’s a Gerbera or a Shahed—the issue isn’t the drone’s model, but the explosive payload it carries,” he said. While the latest incident caused no damage in a sparsely populated area, he warned that a strike on a strategic or urban location could have severe consequences.

Call for urgent upgrades
Experts stressed that the priority must be detection and tracking, not just interception. “The damage isn’t done by the drone itself, but by the explosion,” Antanaitis said. “If we can’t spot these threats early, we risk neutralising them too late—potentially over populated areas.”

The incident follows Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė and Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas confirming on Tuesday that the drone was Ukrainian. However, the repeated undetected incursions have fuelled criticism that Lithuania’s air defences remain inadequately prepared, leaving its skies exposed to both accidental and deliberate violations.