A drone believed to be Russian-made that entered Lithuania from Belarusian airspace has been found in a military training area, the Lithuanian army said Friday.
The drone entered Lithuania in the early hours of Monday, with members of the public recording its flight over parts of the country’s capital Vilnius before it disappeared.
“It’s likely it’s the same one that entered Lithuanian territory on Monday. Based on preliminary information, it’s a Gerbera drone, but the details will be clarified,” the military said in a statement.
Russia’s Gerbera-type drones are used by Moscow as decoys in strikes against Ukraine with the aim to overwhelm and distract air defenses.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces found the drone in the Gaižiūnai military training grounds where the nearby town of Rukla also hosts the international NATO battalion.
“I consider it a provocation” due to where the drone had landed, Mindaugas Sinkevicius, the acting head of the ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), told reporters.
Lithuanians authorities said they first tracked the object in Belarusian airspace before losing contact, with officials coming under criticism for their slow response.
The defense ministry vowed to review response protocols, pledging to allow the military to down the drones more easily.
A Gerbera drone used by Russia entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus on July 10, prompting some of the country’s officials to be moved to bomb shelters.
Moscow is using hundreds of drones to attack Ukraine, some of which end up in other countries bordering the country, including Poland, Romania, and Moldova.
A Russian Shahed-type strike drone in September 2024 crashed in Latvia, another Baltic country member of NATO and the European Union.