Lithuanian and Romanian defence ministers discuss drone threats in Baltic states

Lithuania’s defence minister, Robertas Kaunas, and his Romanian counterpart, Radu-Dineliu Miruta, met on Thursday to address recent drone-related incidents in the Baltic region, state news agency BNS reports.

Kaunas described the growing drone threat in Lithuania and other NATO eastern flank states as a “new reality,” emphasising the importance of collective defence. “The NATO air policing mission is one of the most vivid examples of the Alliance’s solidarity and collective defence,” he said in a statement. “We are grateful to Romania for its participation in the Baltic air policing mission. Though Lithuania and Romania are 1,000 km apart, our threat perception is the same, and our response is coordinated.”

Miruta noted that Romania has also faced disoriented drones entering its airspace and expressed interest in Lithuania’s experience cooperating with Ukraine, including public support for the war effort. The ministers also discussed the rise in Russian propaganda, with Miruta stressing that countering disinformation is an EU-wide challenge. “We must not allow defamatory information to spread under the guise of free speech,” he said.

The meeting followed a claim by Russia’s UN ambassador earlier this week that Ukraine plans to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic states, warning that NATO membership would not shield these countries from retaliation.

Kaunas and Miruta also reviewed broader security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank and exchanged views ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. Romania and France currently lead the Baltic air policing mission, with French Rafale fighters and Romanian F-16s operating from Šiauliai Air Base. This marks France’s ninth rotation in the mission and Romania’s fourth.

NATO’s air policing mission in the Baltics has been active since 2004, involving 17 member states in rotating deployments. Allied forces also regularly conduct air defence exercises in the region.

Recent drone sightings have triggered air alerts in Lithuania, including in Utena County on Thursday and parts of the country on Wednesday. Similar incidents have been reported in other Baltic states and Finland.