„What we have seen from our neighboring countries, such as Belarus and Russia, is that there was practically no reaction. Therefore, one can probably make a certain assumption that it was most likely not a Ukrainian stray drone, because there would probably have been reports and discussions about such an object flying in or crossing Belarusian territory,“ an official said on Monday to LRT radio.
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According to him, an investigation of the incident is currently underway. The head of the State Security Department stated that it is necessary to answer the question of whether this “could not have been some kind of provocation, a test of our response system.”
The Lithuanian Armed Forces reported that at 4:05 a.m. on Sunday, military air force radars near Varėna detected an object crossing the country’s territory and entering the Russian Kaliningrad region. It is likely that it came from Belarus.
According to V. Vitkauskas, seven reports about the flying object were received from residents, but it is difficult to discern anything from the provided material because it was still dark at that time.
No air threat was declared in Lithuania due to this incursion.
The head of the State Security Department claimed that decision-makers were informed in a timely manner, and it was decided not to disturb the residents at that time, considering the object’s flight trajectory and the time of the incident.
„We must understand that if this is a possible provocation or some test of our vigilance, it is not a good idea to unnecessarily raise the whole of Lithuania on its feet every time at five in the morning. (…) I think that precisely because it was seen that there was no threat, that the drone could not cause any kinetic effects, such a decision was made,“ said V. Vitkauskas.
„We must respect the assessments of institutions because it is important that this prudence is maintained and that trust is also maintained from the public side, as the public’s reaction is very important. Next time, if we think, oh, this is another mistake and then we will have something kinetic or, God forbid, even death, damage to our critical infrastructure, then I think we will regret it much more,“ he said.
Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, in turn, announced that he asked the military leadership to provide information on why it was decided not to inform the public in time about the intruding object.
He regretted that when the war in Ukraine began in 2022, Lithuania did not immediately realize the need to create a joint air detection system. Currently, the existing system is fragmented, making it difficult to determine exactly what object is flying.
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„We have finally announced a call to our innovative companies and businesses to help connect all available detection means into one system,“ the minister said on Monday to LRT radio.
„This means that radars will be supplemented by acoustic sensors, border guard cameras, and possibly detection means owned by residents, the same cameras, and in this way, we will be able to receive data from different detection sources to more accurately identify whether it is a drone, a flock of birds, or some other object flying,“ he said.
Proposals are awaited until mid-October. In addition, the Lithuanian Armed Forces have been asked to submit technical solutions by mid-October on what additional detection means need to be acquired.
R. Kaunas said he believes that perhaps a flying drone should patrol the Lithuanian border with Belarus, capable of detecting objects beyond Lithuania’s border.
„This aircraft could also be equipped with visual cameras that would identify flying objects, so it would not only detect like a radar but also identify flying objects. This is the goal set, there are technical parameters, and the possibilities to acquire such equipment are now being analyzed,“ said the defense minister.
„Without these additional solutions, it will certainly be difficult, and every time there is bird migration, sending fighters is probably not very logical. But at the same time, not reacting, not assessing the situation, and not sending notifications to residents is probably also not acceptable. Therefore, a very clear balance based on technological solutions needs to be found,“ he said.
Two incidents were recorded on Sunday. Besides the one mentioned in the Varėna district, from 12:59 to 13:37, a yellow air threat was declared in Vilnius city and district as well as in the Trakai and Elektrėnai districts. Residents received notifications to seek cover, and fighters that took off from Šiauliai determined that radars detected a flock of birds.
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