Lithuanian president warns against using its airspace for drone overflights

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has issued a stern warning to “warring states in Europe” not to use the country’s territory for drone overflights, calling such actions a “flagrant violation of sovereignty and international law,” LRT reports.

“My position is clear and categorical. Lithuania’s territory has not been and will not be used for any third-party military operations against neighbouring states,” Nausėda stated. “Any attempt to unlawfully exploit Lithuania’s airspace would be a gross violation of sovereignty and fundamental norms of international law.”

The president’s remarks, conveyed by his chief adviser Frederikas Jansonas, follow accusations from Russia that Baltic states have permitted Ukrainian drones to transit their airspace for strikes on Russian energy and military infrastructure. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have recorded multiple incidents involving Ukrainian drones in recent weeks.

Nausėda’s senior adviser Asta Skaisgirytė reiterated on Tuesday that Lithuania has never granted—and will never grant—permission for third parties to use its airspace for military operations. Russian state media has speculated that alleged Baltic approval for such overflights poses a security threat to Russia’s Kaliningrad region, which cannot be reached from Ukraine without crossing Lithuanian or Polish airspace.

NATO and Baltic officials maintain that Ukrainian drones have entered Baltic airspace only after being diverted by Russian electronic warfare systems.