Nausėda expects more information on downed drone by Wednesday

President Gitanas Nausėda expects to have more information by Wednesday about whether a drone shot down over Lithuania was carrying explosives, LRT reported.

He praised the military’s rapid response to the incident, saying the armed forces detected the drone and allied aircraft were launched. Italian partners then shot it down without endangering buildings or people, he said in a statement issued by the Presidential Chancellery.

Nausėda said Lithuania’s capabilities to detect drones as part of its air defence system were improving. He added that he did not know whether the drone had been carrying explosives.

“I hope that by tomorrow’s meeting of the State Defence Council we will know all the details, or at least more details,” Nausėda said.

The State Defence Council meeting on Wednesday had been scheduled earlier and will focus on an integrated air defence system, according to the president.

The drone was shot down during the night from Monday to Tuesday after military radars detected an object approaching Lithuania from Belarus. Residents in Vilnius and Kaunas counties received alerts about a possible air threat.

The drone travelled from the Belarusian border past Vilnius, Lentvaris, Trakai District and Kaišiadorys District. At about 12.20 a.m., Italian allied fighter jets that had taken off from the air base in Šiauliai shot it down.

The drone fell in the remote village of Pratkūnai in Kaišiadorys District.