Lithuania Investigates Claims of Russian Drone Violations Amid Pressure on Defense Ministry

Lithuania’s parliament is set to examine claims that the Ministry of Defense may have withheld information about possible Russian drone violations of its airspace earlier this month.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Delfi, citing former parliamentary speaker Saulius Skvernelis.

Skvernelis said the National Security and Defense Committee will investigate whether drones crossed into Lithuania on September 10, the same night Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine that also saw dozens of drones breach Poland’s airspace.

German outlet Bild previously reported that two unidentified aerial objects entered Lithuania that night. The Lithuanian Armed Forces, however, stated they could not confirm the incident.

Skvernelis alleged that the Defense Ministry, led by Dovilė Šakalienė, may have deliberately downplayed or suppressed the information. 

“The army denied the report, but everyone knows the military only stays silent or issues denials at the minister’s instruction. It has become a public secret that pressure is applied within the ministry – generals are told what to say, and information is filtered to protect the minister’s image,” he said.

He warned that concealing security breaches or responding inadequately to threats posed a “serious danger to the safety of our society.”

The concerns in Lithuania come after at least 19 Russian drones violated Polish airspace on September 10, scattering debris across 17 sites in five regions, most heavily in Lublin Voivodeship. 

The incidents prompted NATO to announce the launch of Operation “Eastern Sentry,” aimed at bolstering defenses along the Alliance’s eastern flank.

As The Gaze reported earlier, a Russian Shahed drone also violated Romanian airspace on September 13, remaining inside NATO territory for close to 50 minutes before turning back toward Ukraine.