Lithuania wants to invite Ukrainian specialists to Vilnius to receive advice on defending against incoming drones.
May 11, 2026, 7:47 p.mMay 11, 2026, 7:47 p.m
According to Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, the experts will share their experiences with the Baltic EU and NATO country, where there have been repeated incidents involving incoming drones. In its fifth year of defense against Russia, Ukraine is considered a world leader in drone combat.
Lithuania’s Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas.Image: keystone
“We will invite you to Lithuania to evaluate our work so far and the paths we have taken so that we do not simply make further mistakes,” said Kaunas, according to Lithuanian media reports, after a meeting with the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Kyrylo Budanov in Vilnius, who in turn promised help. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha had previously offered to send experts.
In its defensive battle against Russia, Ukraine has repeatedly attacked Russian oil export ports on the Gulf of Finland and other targets in northwest Russia in recent weeks. Misguided drones flew into the airspace of the Baltic states several times and some crashed. There were no injuries or major damage.
Budanov emphasized that Ukraine does not carry out drone operations on Lithuanian territory and that all actions are directed against Russia. Kaunas also emphasized that the Baltic states were not the actual target, but that the drones would lose orientation if they were electronically jammed and their flight path would become difficult to predict. The blame for this does not lie with Ukraine, but with Russia, which started the war. (hkl/sda/dpa)