Lithuanian president convenes council to assess air defence progress

President Gitanas Nausėda is convening a meeting of the State Defence Council on Wednesday to review the security situation and progress in developing an integrated air defence system and anti-drone measures, LRT reports.

The council will also assess the Defence Ministry’s budget implementation and the progress of infantry fighting vehicle and armoured vehicle procurements.

Presidential chief adviser Deividas Matulionis said on Tuesday that the meeting would examine what had already been done to strengthen Lithuania’s air defence, what was still lacking and whether sufficient resources were being allocated.

The meeting follows an incident on Tuesday night, when a drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and was neutralised in Kaišiadorys district by allied fighter jets from Italy.

The State Defence Council last met in late May. It reviewed the security situation following drone incidents and discussed the further development of an integrated airspace defence system.

In November last year, the council decided that Lithuania should establish such a system within three years, involving the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the State Border Guard Service and the Public Security Service.