Lithuania mulls partial airspace closure amid search for drone suspected of being launched from Belarus
Lithuania is considering partially closing its airspace amid an ongoing search for a drone suspected of entering its territory from Belarus, the country's defense minister said on July 29.
The unidentified drone entered Lithuanian airspace on the morning of July 28 and the search for it has now entered its third day.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said when NATO forces respond to hostile drone incursions it is "difficult" to close the relevant sections of airspace and that a "lightning-fast closure is impossible."
Therefore partial closures may be introduced, she added, in comments reported by Delfi Lithuania.
The Lithuanian military also announced it would reinforce air defenses at the country's border with Belarus following the incident.
Sakaliene said that more attention should have been given to strengthening Lithuania’s air defence capabilities from the very beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the minister, Lithuania is currently acquiring essential equipment and plans to expand its efforts further in the near future.
"What we are doing now, during my time in office, is purchasing acoustic radars, accelerating weapons procurement, and these processes are ongoing," she said.
The minister also noted that the upcoming military exercises in Belarus increase the likelihood of incidents, even unintentional ones.
The Zapad-2025 drills, expected to take place in mid-September, will involve around 13,000 troops and are among the largest joint exercises held by Russia and Belarus.
Belarus has been a key ally to Russia during its full-scale war against Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to use Belarusian territory as a staging ground for military operations. Minsk has also recently escalated its hybrid operations against the EU by again funnelling illegal migrants to its borders, Ukrainian intelligence warned.
In a separate incident, a drone flew from Belarus into Lithuanian airspace on July 10. Though it was initially identified as a Shahed-type drone, Lithuanian border guards later clarified it was a homemade plywood drone that posed no danger.
Elsewhere, a drone flying over the Belarusian capital was intercepted and brought down early on July 29, according to the country's Defense Ministry.
Last September, a Russian drone with an armed warhead crashed in neighboring Latvia. Russian drones or missiles have also strayed into the territory of Poland, Moldova, and Romania during past attacks on Ukraine.
