Explosives from crashed drone removed in Utena district, residents allowed to return home

The explosives carried by a drone that crashed in Lithuania’s Utena district have been neutralised and removed, allowing evacuated residents to return home, police announced on Sunday.

According to the Utena County Chief Police Commissariat, the drone’s explosive materials were destroyed at the scene after specialists determined that transporting them posed a risk to public safety. The operation was completed by 15:54 local time, and the emergency response plan “Skydas” (Shield) was lifted at 17:42.

Experts, bomb disposal teams, and police remain at the site, which is cordoned off near the Sudeikiai–Bikuškis road. Authorities had earlier strengthened security in the area and restricted traffic after confirming the presence of explosives in the wreckage.

The drone was reported by local residents around 19:00 on Saturday in Samanės village. Initial assessments suggested it was Ukrainian-made, though it was not immediately clear whether it carried explosives. The incident has been linked to an ongoing pre-trial investigation by Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

Lithuania’s National Security Commission, led by Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, will review the case and further steps on Tuesday. Similar incidents have occurred in the Baltic region in recent months, including a Ukrainian military drone crashing in Varėna district in January and two Russian “Gerbera” drones—one armed—accidentally entering Lithuanian airspace last year after being disrupted by Ukrainian electronic warfare.

Following a meeting between President Gitanas Nausėda and Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas on Monday, presidential advisor Deividas Matulionis acknowledged flaws in the early warning system for drones, calling for increased funding and attention to address the issue.