Lithuania and Ukraine discuss reducing drone incursion incidents

Lithuania’s defence minister has met with his Ukrainian counterpart to address the growing number of drone incursions into Baltic airspace amid Russia’s war, state broadcaster LRT reports.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the two sides reviewed recent incidents in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, emphasising the need for closer cooperation to minimise such violations, which they attributed to Russian aggression.

“We all clearly understand that Ukraine is defending itself against Russian attack, and these incidents would not occur if Putin stopped the war today—he could, but he does not,” Kaunas stated.

The talks also advanced defence industry collaboration, with Kaunas noting Ukraine’s rapidly developing military technology sector as an opportunity for partnership. “We have made significant progress, though this is an ongoing process,” he said. “Ukraine’s defence industry is evolving extremely fast, allowing it to defend itself effectively while offering technologies in demand worldwide, including in Lithuania.”

The discussions follow a series of drone incidents in the Baltics. On Monday night, an explosion in Lithuania’s Varėna district was linked to a suspected drone crash, though no explosives were found at the scene. Authorities later confirmed the drone was Ukrainian. Similar incidents were reported in Estonia and Latvia this week, with officials in both countries stating the drones were likely Ukrainian, possibly involved in strikes against Russian targets.

Last July, Lithuanian police also investigated an unidentified drone entering from Belarus, equipped with explosives, which crashed in a Jonava district training ground. A separate case involved a Belarusian “Gerbera” drone violating Lithuanian airspace in June, though authorities deemed it non-threatening.