Lithuania’s new defence minister handling drone incidents well, says predecessor

Lithuania’s former defence minister Dovilė Šakalienė has stated that the new minister, Robertas Kaunas, is managing the country’s drone incidents “quite well,” despite his limited experience in the role, LRT reports.

Šakalienė, a Social Democrat, acknowledged that while Kaunas has only held the position for a few months, he has shown strong engagement with his responsibilities. “Considering that this is a person who had nothing to do with defence before taking office a few months ago, I think he is doing quite well,” she told ELTA savaitė. “It’s clear that he works hard, delves deep into the issues, and—from what I hear within the system—listens with an open mind.”

She dismissed criticism from some politicians who claim to know better, noting that Kaunas does not exhibit “narcissism” but instead seeks input and draws conclusions. “It’s difficult to fully grasp such complex situations in just a few months,” she added.

Šakalienė also defended Kaunas’ decision to participate in a parliamentary vote on amendments to Lithuania’s national broadcaster (LRT) while an air threat was declared in the Utena region. She argued that as a political appointee, the minister must follow his party’s directives on key votes. “The minister is a political position—expertise alone isn’t enough; you also need to understand your political role,” she said, adding that political parties enforce discipline, which can create difficult choices for ministers.

Kaunas himself has stated that while he must allocate time to parliamentary duties, he prioritised defence work once the air threat was announced, immediately relocating to the ministry.

The incidents follow Lithuania’s first-ever declaration of a red-level air threat in the Vilnius region on Wednesday, followed by a second alert in Utena on Thursday, when two suspected drones entered Lithuanian airspace.