May 17, 2026, 9:17 p.mMay 17, 2026, 9:17 p.m
Drones regularly invade Lithuanian airspace.Image: keystone
After several drone incidents in the Baltic states, an unknown drone has once again been discovered on Lithuanian soil. According to the National Crisis Management Center, a crashed flying object was found in a field in Utena County. This may be a military drone. So far there are no signs that the drone exploded. According to a radio report, the exact circumstances of the incident are now being investigated.
There was initially no information about the origin and type of the missile. However, initial information suggested that it was a Ukrainian drone, said the head of the crisis management center, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, in Vilnius, according to Lithuanian media reports. Accordingly, security forces are investigating the location of the drone, whose crash was reported to the authorities by residents.
When and how the missile entered Lithuanian airspace and crashed remained unclear. Utena is located in the northeast of the Baltic EU and NATO country near the border with Latvia and Russia’s ally Belarus.
Ukraine has been resisting a Russian invasion for more than four years. In the mutual drone war, the aircraft fended off using electronic means also pose a danger to neighboring countries. In recent Ukrainian attacks, misguided drones that Kiev had used to attack targets in northwestern Russia had repeatedly entered the airspace of the Baltic states and some had crashed. (sda/dpa)