Daniel Wolfram
For the first time, a hostile Russian drone was found in Lithuania.
On Tuesday, an Italian jet scrambled over Lithuania. Operating under NATO command, the fighter intercepted an unidentified drone and blew it out of the sky.
This is the first time NATO forces have downed a drone in Lithuanian territory.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda accused Russia of sending the drone. “Most likely, it was a Russian drone intended for Ukraine that was diverted from its course by Ukrainian electronic warfare measures and entered our territory, where it was shot down,” Nausėda said, according to the Moscow Times.
A decoy drone
Experts identified the destroyed drone as a “Gerbera.” Russia manufactures basic, long-range drones primarily out of cheap plywood. The Russian military frequently deploys them as simple decoys to drain Ukrainian ammunition.
Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT mapped the flight path using official government reports. The outlet confirmed the craft entered through Belarusian airspace, traveling 62 miles across the country before being shot down.
Belarus denies taking sides in the war, although it allows Russia to use its land for military operations.
A recurring theme
This is not the first time a country close to Ukraine has had a Russian drone fall within its borders. Poland, Romania, Latvia, and Estonia have all dealt with suspected Russian drones in recent months.
The Lithuanian president warns that “incidents, provocation, sabotage acts, including false-flag operations” will likely remain an ongoing tactic from Russia as the country continues to falter in the war.
