Varėna mayor calls for faster incident reporting after suspected drone crash

The mayor of Varėna has criticised the slow response from state institutions after a suspected Ukrainian drone crashed in the district, calling for faster communication to ensure public safety, LRT reports.

Mayor Algis Kašėta said local authorities were dissatisfied with the speed at which information was shared following the March 24 incident, in which an object believed to be a drone fell into Lake Lavyso. “We would like institutions to inform us here and now,” he told ELTA, emphasising that residents need reassurance, particularly given past challenges like the 2021 migrant crisis, when interagency coordination initially failed.

“There was no panic, but unease remains—for locals and all of Lithuania,” Kašėta said. He urged authorities to take decisive action, stressing that “extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary responsibility and political will.” Residents, he noted, feel both disappointment and lingering anxiety over unresolved airspace and border security issues.

The incident in Varėna followed similar drone-related events in Estonia and Latvia. On March 25, Estonian media reported a drone—allegedly from Russia—had struck the chimney of Auvere Power Plant, while Latvian authorities confirmed an explosion from a drone entering their airspace. Lithuania’s military stated the object in Varėna was not detected by radar and was only reported on the afternoon of March 24. No explosives were found, though officials did not rule out their presence.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė later confirmed the drone was Ukrainian. Police completed their on-site investigation on March 25 after collecting debris.