Lithuania wants Ukraine to warn Baltic states about stray drones near borders

Ivanna Kostina, Anastasia Protz - 31 March, 17:35

Tomas Godliauskas. Photo: BNS

Lithuanian Deputy Defence Minister Tomas Godliauskas said on 31 March that Ukraine should share information with Baltic states about the drones detected near their territory or lost in the area.

Source: European Pravda citing LRT, the Lithuanian National Radio and Television

Quote: "One of the key messages is that the Ukrainians should share this information if they see, track and know that a particular drone was shot down or lost. Such information should flow naturally between the relevant services, and states should be informed about it.

It is therefore in Lithuania's own interests to have a resilient and effective air defence system, making the most of the lessons and good practice Ukraine uses in its fight against drones."

Details: Asta Skaisgirytė. Chief Adviser to the Lithuanian president, said talks are ongoing with Ukraine on the possibility of warning the Baltic states about drone flights near their borders.

Godliauskas said Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas, who visited Ukraine last week, discussed information-sharing and air defence with colleagues in Kyiv.

Quote: "I think at the political level they repeatedly discussed not only Ukraine's air defence, but also the growing relevance of Ukraine's experience. This is certainly not something that has emerged only now and not something they have only just started discussing, as the exchange of lessons learned has been going on for four years."

Background:

On the night of 30-31 March, a little under 10 drones were spotted in Estonian airspace, and the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) is checking three places where they may have fallen.
During a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russian ports near St Petersburg last week, several drones strayed into Baltic territory and two crashed in Latvia and Estonia. Earlier, a drone had also crashed in Lithuania. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has officially apologised to the people of the Baltic states following these incidents.

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