Фото: МИД Литвы
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry summoned a representative of the Belarusian Embassy on September 16 and handed him a note of protest over a violation of the country’s state border and airspace.
The violation was recorded by monitoring systems on the night of September 14-15. According to the ministry, the drone crossed into Lithuania from Belarus.
Lithuania described the incident as a serious violation of international law and demanded that Belarus provide detailed explanations of the incident and prevent similar violations in the future. Lithuania also called on the Belarusian authorities to ensure effective control of their territory and airspace and prevent actions that could threaten the security of neighboring states.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses that Lithuania reserves the right, together with its allies, to take all necessary measures to ensure national security, territorial integrity and the safety of the population,” the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
A drone was shot down over Lithuania shortly after midnight on September 15. Its debris fell near the settlement of Pratkūnai, located close to the Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Plant. No one was injured in the incident. According to President Gitanas Nausėda, it was a Russian Gerbera drone.