Russian Drones May Have Entered Another NATO Member’s Airspace

Lithuania’s former prime minister has raised questions over whether Russian drones entered the Baltic state on the same night that devices launched by Moscow were downed by fellow NATO member Poland.

German outlet Bild had reported that two objects had entered the Baltic state’s territory, although Lithuania’s Armed Forces said there was no information backing this up.

But Saulius Skvernelis, who was head of government between 2016 and 2020 and is now the country’s parliamentary speaker, has called for an investigation into whether the alleged incident was concealed to avoid damaging the image of Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė.

There is no independent confirmation of the claims by Skvernelis or Bild and Šakalienė said she backed the conclusions of Lithuania’s armed forces.

Newsweek has contacted the Lithuanian defense ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

Tensions between NATO and Russia are on a knife-edge after Poland shot down drones that entered its territory last week, and fellow member Romania scrambled fighter jets following a similar incident at the weekend.

At least twice in July, drones launched by Russia had entered Lithuania but the prospect of Russian drones entering another member’s airspace on the same day as the incident in Poland will add to concerns that Moscow is testing the alliance’s resolve.

What To Know

Warsaw said that Russian drones violated Polish airspace 19 times on the night of September 9 and 10, with data showing the wreckage of Russian drones across the country.

As Warsaw invoked Article 4 of NATO’s charter for further consultations with fellow members, Moscow said that Poland had not provided evidence for its accusations and denied intentionally launching drones into the country.

However, German media outlet Bild had reported that two drones may have entered Lithuanian territory as well. Lithuanian outlets reported the Bild account based on NATO sources.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces said NATO air-policing jets had been scrambled but no targets were detected. Šakalienė said “no objects were recorded” in Lithuanian airspace that day.

However, Skvernelis said the issue should be investigated.

“The armed forces have denied the information, but we know the armed forces deny or remain silent only at the will or instruction of Minister Šakalienė,” Skvernelis told Lithuanian outlet Delfi, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda.

“The National Security and Defence Committee should raise this issue on its next agenda and get very clear answers,” he said, according to a translation of the report by Delfi.

Šakalienė said she backed the information by the country’s armed forces which had denied the rumors, which she suggested had a political motive.

What People Are Saying

Saulius Skvernelis said: “The armed forces have denied the information, but we know the armed forces deny or remain silent only at the will or instruction of Minister Šakalienė.”

Dovilė Šakalienė said: “In this situation, the army informed what the situation was and said that it was not so, and denied these rumors. I trust our army.”

What Happens Next

There will be close scrutiny over whether more of Moscow’s drones infringe nearby NATO members’ territory. Meanwhile, Warsaw has allowed a permanent NATO troop deployment in Poland as part of “Eastern Sentry,” to defend against Russian drone attacks.