Lithuanian defence minister says drone shot down overnight appears to have had no explosives

Lithuania's National Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on the afternoon of 15 September that a drone that entered the country's territory appears not to have contained explosives.

Source: LRT, Lithuania's national public service broadcaster, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Kaunas said the fighter jet that shot down the drone protected not only Lithuanian airspace but also that of NATO.

"This incident showed that we are able to act in a coordinated way, as one team. We are able to respond in time, make the necessary decisions and neutralise objects that have entered Lithuanian territory, thereby ensuring the safety of our citizens," the minister added.

Kaunas said it is currently known that the drone arrived from Belarus, but it is not yet clear what type of drone it is.

Quote: "Parts and debris of the drone have now been collected and a wider area is being searched for other fragments. An additional investigation will be carried out and efforts are being made to establish the drone's route as far as possible. Only then will it be possible to assess whether this was a Russian drone and a possible provocation, or a drone from another country, say, a defensive drone. For now, we should not rush to conclusions."

More details: Kaunas said the data available so far indicate that the drone that entered Lithuanian territory did not contain explosives.

"It appears that the drone did not contain explosives, but these are very, very early reports that are still being confirmed. Let us wait until the information is accurate. A wider area is being searched, and once we have the full picture, we will be able to explain everything," he emphasised.

Kaunas added that although the war in Ukraine may seem distant, it is unfortunately spreading.

Quote: "Russia does not want peace, it is not sitting down at the table for peace talks, Putin does not want peace. If we do not achieve peace, if we do not force Russia to negotiate peace, unfortunately there may be more such incidents in the Baltic region."

Background:

• On the night of 14-15 September, fighter jets from NATO's air policing mission shot down a drone of an unidentified type over Lithuania for the first time.
• Poland scrambled fighter jets over Russian jet-powered drones flying over western Ukraine, while Romania did the same over several drones near the border with Ukraine. No airspace violations were recorded in either case.

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