A drone that crashed and exploded in Lithuania, near the border with Belarus, most likely belongs to the Ukrainians and was diverted from its course due to electronic warfare.
A video taken by a local resident showed an explosion, preceded by the hum of an engine in the dark, which is usually associated with drones. Authorities have not confirmed the type of drone, and have indicated that it is necessary to await the results of the investigation. However, army representatives confirmed that an engine, which is usually used in drones, was found.
Initially, the army reported that the drone may have flown in from Belarus, but on March 24, Lithuanian authorities confirmed that the exploded object was a Ukrainian drone that was on its way to the Russian port of Primorsk. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said after a meeting of the National Security Council that the drone was connected to a Ukrainian operation against the port of Primorsk, and that it could be said that it ended up on Lithuanian territory by accident.
Lithuania deployed air defense systems near Vilnius after an incident last July, when two Russian Gerbera drones crashed on the country’s territory. However, as the army pointed out, the Varėnai district, where the Ukrainian drone crashed on the 23rd of March, is quite far from the capital, and there are no air defense systems there. The army’s radars also did not detect the drone, and the authorities learned about it when a local resident called them.
Military experts have previously indicated that this type of drone is difficult to spot.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said that neither Belarus nor Lithuania noticed the drone, as it apparently flew below 300 meters. The services are currently clarifying the details of the incident.
Former volunteer soldier in Ukraine, drone expert Arūnas Kumpis told LRT Radio that the Ukrainians are the only ones whose air defense works against drones. The main question now is whether the Lithuanians will finally think about this issue and find people who can solve the problem.
The investigation could take several months, and that was the case after the drone crash last July. Meanwhile, Kaunas warned that such incidents could occur again, as the war in Ukraine continues. He added that airspace protection is one of NATO’s biggest challenges, and noted that the country has not yet received additional radars ordered after previous incidents with drones. Lithuanian Prime Minister says Iran war is behind delivery delays.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2877542/another-drone-incident-in-lithuania-here-s-what-you-need-to-know
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