Нериюс Станкявичюс. Скриншот видео
Vilnius received information about the possible movement of drones toward Lithuania from the Belarusian armed forces, Lithuanian Land Forces Commander Nerijus Stankevičius said at a press conference on May 20.
According to Stankevičius, Latvia also received information from Belarus.
“Initially, radar signals were detected — both in Latvia and Lithuania. It was clear that some objects were approaching Lithuania”, Delfi quoted him as saying.
Two fighter jets participating in NATO’s air policing mission took off from Ämari Air Base in Estonia. They initially inspected airspace over Latvia. When the drone began approaching Lithuania, one of the fighters was redirected there. The pilots did not detect the object in the air and returned to base.
The head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, said that information about the threat had first been received from Latvia and later from the Lithuanian military.
According to him, radar systems in Ignalina district detected an object approaching Lithuania. At 9:40, it crossed the border and at 11:09 disappeared from radar.
It remains unknown whether the drone crashed or left Lithuanian territory. It is being searched for using helicopters and ground resources.
Earlier on May 20, an air raid alert was declared in some areas of Lithuania due to a suspected drone spotted in Belarus near the Lithuanian border. Vilnius Airport temporarily suspended operations. An air raid alert was also declared in Latvia.