Defense minister demands answers after drone incident

Lithuania’s Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said answers from the military leadership about Sunday’s drone incident were unsatisfactory, LRT reported. He raised questions about the object’s speed and whether residents’ reports of hearing a drone matched the military’s radar data.

It is known that the drone flew from Belarus to Russia, Kaunas said. He requested an expert working group and expects a timeline by Tuesday evening detailing how and when the incident unfolded and what actions were taken.

Kaunas also questioned why no similar response was made at around 4 a.m., when radar detected an unidentified object crossing Lithuania’s border. A yellow air alert lasting about 40 minutes on Sunday was later issued because of a flock of birds.

The minister suggested that a special airborne radar should patrol the border. However, he said the military’s response satisfied him and noted that radar technology has limitations.

According to Kaunas, the radar showed that an object had crossed the border and was moving fast enough to resemble a drone. He said a flock of birds can also reach such a speed and produce a corresponding radar reflection.

Kaunas said his trust in Army Commander Raimundas Vaikšnoras had not weakened, describing the issue as a working-level discussion.