As reported by the media LRT
On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, the Lithuanian Seimas adopted amendments to the legislation that allow the army to respond more quickly to threats from drones that endanger the country’s airspace. The decision was reported by LRT; amendments to the Aviation Act and the Statute on the Use of Military Force were supported by all MPs present.
“With this amendment to the Statute on the Use of Military Force, we are creating a new legal mechanism so that military force can be used promptly against drones in restricted zones if their flights are carried out in violation of the order established by the army commander”
– Dovilė Šakalienė
Key Provisions of the New Rules
The changes enable military action against drones in prohibited or restricted zones by decision of the Minister of Defense or an official authorized by him, if the flights violate the conditions, restrictions, or procedures.
Previously the army could respond to drones only when they acted as weapons in prohibited zones. Instead, the new rules allow a more flexible and effective response to airspace violations by drones and the use of military means to neutralize them as needed.
The law also outlines the mechanism for activating restricted zones and the procedure for informing in cases of airspace violations. Under the new rules, civilian aircraft are prohibited from flying in such zones without the appropriate permit, and pilots are required to use radio communication and a transponder when flying in uncontrolled airspace. The changes were developed in light of this summer’s events, when two Russian drones “Gerbera” violated Lithuanian airspace, one of which was equipped with explosives. It is also known that in recent months drones from Belarus have crossed Lithuania’s airspace: on July 10 one homemade drone crossed the border near the Shumsk border crossing, on July 16 border guards shot down another small device, and on July 28 police recorded an unidentified drone that also crossed the border from Belarus.
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