Lithuanian president suggests Russia may intentionally let drones drift into Baltic states
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said drones entering Lithuania or other Baltic countries may be intentionally allowed to deviate from their course, describing the incidents as a Kremlin attempt to punish countries that support Ukraine. His comments come after NATO patrol-mission fighter jets shot down an unidentified drone over Lithuania that had entered from Belarus on the night of September 15, and Lithuania's Foreign Ministry summoned a Belarusian representative the following day to deliver a protest note.
Key points
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said drones entering Lithuania or other Baltic states may be intentionally allowed to deviate from their course.
- Nausėda described the drone incidents as another Kremlin attempt to punish countries that support Ukraine.
- He said Russia is targeting its actions at Ukraine's strongest supporters while avoiding direct confrontation with NATO.
- In the night of September 15, NATO patrol-mission fighter jets shot down an unidentified drone over Lithuania that had entered from Belarus — the first such shoot-down over Lithuania.
- An explosive device was found at the crash site and neutralized by sappers.
- On September 16, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry summoned a Belarusian representative and delivered a note of protest over the border and airspace violation.
Why it matters
A NATO member's head of state has publicly attributed recent drone incursions in the Baltic region to deliberate Russian action, framing them as part of a broader Kremlin effort to pressure countries that support Ukraine while stopping short of a direct confrontation with the alliance.
What happened
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said in an interview with LRT that drones entering Lithuania or other Baltic countries may be intentionally allowed to deviate from their course. He characterized the incidents as another Kremlin attempt to punish countries that support Ukraine, saying Russia is targeting its actions at Ukraine's strongest supporters while avoiding direct confrontation with NATO. Nausėda added that such incidents are not necessarily a direct attack on the alliance, since it is likely not ready for or willing to pursue such a confrontation at this stage, and that allowing drones to drift into Baltic or Polish territory could serve to keep the public on edge in a way that benefits Russia.
His remarks came after NATO patrol-mission fighter jets shot down an unidentified-type drone over Lithuania on the night of September 15 — the first such shoot-down over the country. The drone had entered from Belarus. An explosive device found at the crash site was neutralized by sappers. On September 16, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry summoned a Belarusian representative and delivered a note of protest over the violation of Lithuanian state border and airspace.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage focuses on Nausėda's framing of the drone incidents as a deliberate Russian attempt to punish countries that support Ukraine, and reports his characterization of Russia's behavior as increasingly aggressive.
Where reporting differs
The supplied facts present two competing explanations for the Lithuanian drone incident. Nausėda initially framed it as a possible intentional Russian act to punish supporters of Ukraine, while later reported statements indicate the downed drone was likely a Russian 'Gerbera' intended to attack Ukraine that Ukrainian electronic warfare may have knocked off course. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha similarly said investigations showed some regional drones were Ukrainian ones deflected by Russian electronic warfare.
Background
Drones have previously been shot down over Latvia and Estonia, and Italy's prime minister has characterized "constant Russian provocations" as a sign of "certain nervousness." Germany has announced it will deploy fighter jets in Latvia to protect the country's airspace during upcoming parliamentary elections because of repeated drone incursions raising security concerns on NATO's eastern flank. Nausėda has also said the number of drone incidents in Europe is not final.