Lithuania Confirms Russian Drone Entered Its Airspace from Belarus
Lithuania’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a Russian-made “Gerbera” drone entered the country’s airspace from Belarus on Thursday. Though an investigation is ongoing, authorities say the drone posed no threat to the population, The Gaze reports, citing LRT.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė saidam that the object was a “Gerbera” model unmanned aerial vehicle. “We can confirm it was a Gerbera. Its intended use is still under investigation, and we have no evidence suggesting it was deliberately directed toward Lithuania,” she said.
The Gerbera drone is believed to be produced in Tatarstan, Russia, in the same region as the Shahed-136 drones. It was first seen in Ukraine in July 2024 during an attack on Kyiv and is thought to serve as a decoy or imitation drone.
Lithuanian Army Major Gintautas Ciunis confirmed that the drone crossed from Belarus and remained in Lithuanian airspace for around three minutes before crashing. He described it as a “foam and wooden object with wires,” adding that it resembled a small plane.
“It posed no threat, and we can say with confidence that it was not a Shahed drone, as speculated publicly,” Ciunis stated.
Border guards (VSAT) detected the drone at approximately 11:30 a.m. near the town of Kenė. It was flying at about 100 meters altitude at a speed of 50–60 km/h and crashed soon after. According to VSAT chief Marius Barkauskas, this is the first such incident recorded in the area.
Ciunis emphasized that in peacetime, unidentified aerial objects are not immediately intercepted with military force. However, “if this were wartime, the object would have been neutralized without delay,” he said.
The drone’s remains are currently being analyzed to determine its origin, construction, and purpose. NATO fighter jets deployed in Lithuania were initially alerted in response to the airspace violation, but the operation was called off once the drone crashed.
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