Lithuania confirms downed drones belonged to Ukraine, likely disrupted by Russian countermeasures

The two unmanned military aircraft that crashed in Lithuania this year belonged to Ukraine and were likely forced off course by Russian electronic warfare systems, the country’s Ministry of National Defence (KAM) stated on Monday.

In a response to the ELTA news agency, the ministry confirmed that “both combat drones that crashed in Lithuania in 2026 were Ukrainian, with their intended targets in Russia.” The most probable cause of their deviation was “the impact of Russian radio-electronic warfare measures,” though investigations into other possible factors continue.

The wreckage of the drones was recovered in Varėna and Utena districts earlier this year. The most recent incident, reported by the National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC) on May 17, prompted a red air threat alert—the first of its kind in Lithuania’s post-independence history—followed by a second alert in Utena district the next day.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has previously warned that third-party military operations using the country’s territory against neighbouring states cannot be tolerated. The incidents coincide with increased Russian accusations that Baltic states are enabling Ukrainian drone strikes by allowing strategic use of their airspace.

In recent months, Russian forces have repeatedly disrupted Ukrainian drones mid-flight, leading to multiple airspace violations across the Baltics and Finland, some of which have triggered emergency air threat warnings.