VILNIUS — Lithuania is looking on NATO to assist strengthen its air defenses after a drone carrying 2 kilograms of explosives entered the nation from Belarus and crashed in a army coaching space.
Protection Minister Dovilė Šakalienė and International Minister Kęstutis Budrys despatched a letter to NATO Secretary-Common Mark Rutte to request the deployment of extra, “even experimental,” capabilities on its territory to handle air threats, Šakalienė mentioned on Tuesday.
“Since related incidents are more likely to proceed so long as Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine goes on, it means we should take extra measures,” she mentioned.
The drone crossed the border on July 28 and took the Lithuanian army almost every week to find.
The first principle, in line with authorities, is that Russia directed the drone towards Kyiv nevertheless it turned disoriented and unintentionally entered Lithuanian airspace. Whereas at the moment there’s “no motive to consider that the drone was intentionally launched into Lithuanian territory, we completely should reply to the fullest extent,” Šakalienė mentioned. The investigation is ongoing.
With air assaults on Ukraine intensifying in latest months, the dangers of such incidents alongside the NATO’s japanese border are rising. Related incidents have been reported in Poland, Romania and Latvia.
Budrys described the scenario as “a priority of all NATO,” calling for joint efforts to handle “new sorts of threats.”
“This isn’t simply Lithuanian airspace, not simply Lithuania’s safety — it’s NATO airspace, NATO safety and likewise EU safety,” Budrys mentioned.
The drone was the second to cross into Lithuania final month. On July 10, a Russian Gerbera drone crashed a few kilometer inside Lithuania’s territory after getting into from Belarus.