Lithuania must strengthen air defense after missile incident in Poland

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the missile that fell in Poland on Thursday underscores the need for Lithuania to strengthen its air defenses, LRT reports.

“The likelihood that such incidents could recur—and may even increase depending on the intensity of operations—unfortunately exists. This is precisely why we must continue to strengthen our air defense, ensuring it is robust not only in detection but also in intercepting airborne threats at all altitudes,” Nausėda told journalists in Medininkai on Friday.

He confirmed he had spoken with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who acknowledged that living near a war zone means such incidents are possible. “Poland is not rushing to attribute the missile, but it is highly likely it came from the country that started the aggression. I expressed solidarity with Poland and asked if we could assist in any way,” Nausėda said.

Asked whether he had new information about potential Russian provocations against NATO, the president said he did not. He emphasized that Russia benefits from maintaining psychological and other tensions in NATO states, urging calm and resilience against provocations.

“We must not always assume they control the situation—it’s possible they don’t intend for such things to happen. But we must focus on our preparedness to counter these provocations and ensure the safety of our people,” he said.

Nausėda admitted Lithuania’s current level of preparedness is insufficient, though work is ongoing. “Not yet, definitely not. Work is happening every day. We are acquiring what we need most, and I hope it will all come together into a cohesive system that ensures the highest possible level of protection with our current financial resources—a safe sky over Lithuania,” he stated.

Polish authorities reported a roughly 10-meter crater in the eastern Lublin region after an explosion on Thursday, following a new Russian missile attack on Ukraine. The missile landed near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, about 80 km from the Ukrainian border. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk later said the missile was likely a Russian Kh-101. NATO condemned Russia for the incident and pledged to take all necessary measures to defend Alliance territory.