Lithuanian air force commander: no evidence drone incidents are deliberate provocations

Lithuania’s air force commander has stated there is currently no proof that recent drone sightings near the country’s airspace are intentional provocations, national broadcaster LRT reported on Wednesday.

Speaking on LRT’s *Dienos tema* programme, Colonel Antanas Matutis confirmed that two objects were detected on radar near Utena on Thursday, following a separate incident the previous day where another drone entered Lithuanian airspace but was not located. Both objects disappeared from radar tracking over Utena, with search efforts—including a helicopter deployment—failing to locate them.

“At this moment, I have no evidence to claim these are deliberately provocative actions,” Matutis said, noting that without recovering the objects, their origin, route, or affiliation remains unconfirmed.

NATO fighter jets based at Šiauliai Air Base were scrambled in response, though poor visibility prevented visual identification. Matutis acknowledged that while current air policing resources—eight jets in Lithuania and four in Estonia—are sufficient for the present frequency of incidents, NATO could reallocate additional assets if threats escalate, as seen previously in Poland and Romania.

When asked whether shifting from peacetime protocols to an elevated alert status would improve response efficiency, Matutis cautioned that expanded military authority would necessarily impose greater restrictions on civilian movement and freedoms. “We must strike the right balance,” he said.