Lithuania discloses details on drone that disrupted president's landing
The Lithuanian Ministry of Transport has reported that the drone which temporarily prevented a plane carrying President Gitanas Nausėda from landing at Vilnius Airport was flown for advertising purposes.
Source: Delfi, a Baltic states news website, with reference to the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania
Details: The ministry said that on the evening of 2 September, Vilnius Airport’s security service informed Oro navigacija, a Lithuanian air navigation company, that a suspicious drone had been spotted near Liepkalnis. As a result, take-offs and landings at the airport were temporarily suspended.
Air traffic resumed once it was confirmed that the drone posed no danger.
The ministry stated that the drone had been flown for advertising purposes and had not complied with established regulations.
Relevant authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of the incident. The public will be informed once detailed information is available.
In the coming days, the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport will convene a meeting with representatives from Lithuanian airports and Oro navigacija to assess security measures and future plans as well as to identify areas for improvement.
Background:
- A Spartan aircraft carrying Nausėda was unable to land at Vilnius Airport for a short period due to reports of an unidentified drone in the airspace.
- On 31 August, the GPS system aboard European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was jammed en route to Bulgaria. The Bulgarian authorities suspect Russian interference.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!