A Lithuanian flag. Photo: Getty Images
In Lithuania, a special air defence unit has been redeployed closer to the border with Belarus due to the drone threat.
Source: Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Raimundas Vaikšnoras, cited by Lithuanian TV channel TV3, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Vaikšnoras attended a meeting convened by President Gitanas Nausėda after an incident in which a drone entered Lithuanian territory from Belarus.
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Following the meeting, Vaikšnoras said: “Air defence measures have been reinforced, and an air defence battalion capable of detecting and, if necessary, destroying various threats has been redeployed closer to the border”.
Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who also participated in the meeting, noted that the existing airspace surveillance capabilities are insufficient to detect low-flying objects.
“We lack radars capable of identifying small, manoeuvrable targets in complex weather conditions,” she said.
The minister added that the proposed changes include improving airspace surveillance systems, purchasing new equipment and accelerating ongoing procurements.
Background:
On the morning of 28 July, Lithuanians living near the Belarusian border reported to the police that they had seen and heard something resembling a drone. Video footage from one witness suggested it might have been a Shahed-type drone.
Šakalienė suggested that the drone could have entered Lithuanian territory due to the impact of Ukrainian electronic warfare systems.
The commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces added that more air defence systems would be deployed closer to the Belarusian border and that from next year Lithuania would begin using a Ukrainian acoustic drone detection system.
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