Lithuania continues investigation into crashed Ukrainian drone but timeline remains unclear

The Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office is continuing its investigation into a Ukrainian drone that crashed in Varėna district last week, though officials cannot yet say how long the probe will take, LRT reports.

“The investigation is ongoing, but at this stage we have no estimates on its duration,” Elena Martinonienė, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor General’s Office, told the ELTA news agency on Monday. She added that no further details would be disclosed while the pre-trial inquiry is active, with updates provided once key findings are available.

The drone crashed into Lake Lavysas in Varėna district in the early hours of last Monday. Lithuania’s military confirmed it had not been detected by radar systems and was only reported later that afternoon. A search found no explosives at the site, though investigators noted this did not rule out their presence.

Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė stated on Tuesday that the drone was Ukrainian and had gone off course during an operation targeting Russia. The incident is being examined as part of an existing pre-trial investigation into war crimes in Ukraine.

Similar cases were reported in Estonia and Latvia last week. A drone struck the chimney of Auvere power plant in northeastern Estonia early Wednesday, coinciding with a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Ust-Luga port. Later that morning, Latvian authorities confirmed a drone from Russia had exploded in their airspace. Both were believed to be Ukrainian drones that veered off course, potentially due to Russian electronic warfare interference.

Regional officials have warned that such incidents may recur as a consequence of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine.