Sinkevičius has not convened security commission since taking office

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has not convened a meeting of the National Security Commission since taking office in July, despite several airspace violations in recent months and warnings of an increased risk of provocations, LRT reported.

His adviser, Gedas Salyga, said Sinkevičius regularly discusses the relevant issues with ministers and responsible agencies. He added that the commission could also consider them if needed.

Salyga said the prime minister had made air defence a priority from the start of his term and had visited Lithuanian Air Force units. Sinkevičius also initiated consultations with the Defence Ministry, the military and the Public Procurement Office on speeding up purchases to protect the country’s airspace. He subsequently instructed the Defence Ministry to distribute defence spending more evenly.

The government is preparing a live dashboard showing overall spending on ongoing procurements, Salyga said. Officials have also been tasked with coordinating priority defence contracts more effectively. The government is working with the Economy and Innovation Ministry, Invest Lithuania and other partners to support the development of the defence industry.

The commission’s membership was updated in late August after the change of government. Sinkevičius chairs it, with Government Chancellor Tomas Daukantas as deputy chair. Its members include the heads of the State Security Department, the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Second Investigation Department and the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, as well as the president’s chief adviser and several ministers.

Last meeting was in May

The commission last met in May, when it was convened by then Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė after a Ukrainian drone was found crashed in a field in Samanė village, Utena district. During her term, from September last year to July this year, the commission met about 15 times. Around six meetings took place in October and November last year, when Lithuania was affected by smuggling balloons from Belarus. Other meetings addressed trucks stranded at the Belarusian border, drones that entered Lithuania and a train accident.

Ruginienė’s predecessor, Gintautas Paluckas, convened about four meetings while serving as prime minister from December 2024 to August last year, according to Government Chancellery data. Ingrida Šimonytė, who led the government from 2020 to 2024, convened 11 meetings.

On October 3, a yellow-level air alert was issued for about 40 minutes in Vilnius County and Ukmergė. The detected signal was outside Lithuania and disappeared before the object reached Vilnius. A search for a possible drone was launched but later called off after the object could not be identified.