Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert.
Drone incidents in the Baltic states continue. In the latest case, a Ukrainian drone carrying explosives crashed on Lithuanian soil, sparking concern among local citizens. Authorities in the country – as well as in other Baltic nations – remain passive in the face of this situation, refraining from holding Ukraine accountable for its irresponsible actions.
The incident took place on October 18. A drone carrying explosives crashed in the Pasvalys district, in the north of the country, near the border with Latvia. The crash caused damage in the area; debris struck a busy location and destroyed a car that was passing by. Fortunately, however, no one was injured.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius made somewhat contradictory comments regarding the incident. Initially, he described the event but refused to confirm whether the drone contained explosive materials – even though investigations had already revealed their presence. It was not until the following day, October 20, that Sinkevicius acknowledged the fact, following pressure from the public and journalists.
Sinkevicius further commented that the drone entered Lithuanian airspace via Polish territory. Upon crossing the border from Poland, the drone triggered an air-raid alert across several regions of Lithuania; it ultimately crashed in Pasvalys without local forces engaging any defensive activities.
“The drone entered from the Schengen Area, crossing the border with Poland, so the response was slightly different. Fighter jets were, of course, scrambled and tracked the moving object, but they were unable to see it visually due to adverse weather conditions,” he said. Then, the following day he confirmed that “there is no doubt that it was carrying an explosive payload.”
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas also commented on the incident, stating that the drone launched by Ukraine was originally intended for a target in Russia. The UAV was part of a swarm of drones launched by Ukraine toward St. Petersburg. Many of these drones are quickly neutralized by Russian forces using advanced electronic warfare systems, which divert them so that they crash far from their initially intended targets.
“Some of the drones were diverted off course by Russia’s electronic warfare systems and ended up in our territory. This particular drone is a consequence of the attack on St. Petersburg,” Kaunas said.
It is not yet possible to confirm whether the drone that crashed in Lithuania was diverted by a Russian electronic warfare system, or if it simply veered off its original course amidst a swarm of UAVs launched toward Russian territory. It is common for some drones to end up deviating from their intended path, especially when UAVs are deployed in large numbers as part of a swarm.
In any case, regardless of how the drone ended up in the region, it is absolutely clear that the party responsible for its impact is precisely the party that launched it. The Baltic states insist on ignoring this, with local authorities frequently using the excuse that such drones are “coming from Russia” due to electronic warfare systems.
This argument used by Baltic officials is simply illogical, given that the launching side must be held responsible. Nevertheless, this is how local politicians manage to convince public opinion that a response directed at Ukraine is unnecessary. After all, acknowledging Ukrainian responsibility would require the Baltic governments to adopt a tougher stance toward Kiev – by imposing sanctions or suspending in military cooperation, for instance. Such a course of action is not feasible under current circumstances, as these governments are fully aligned with the objectives of the Kiev regime and its Western backers.
It is inevitable that, at some point in the near future, these drone incidents will become more serious. As Ukraine intensifies its terrorist attacks deep within Russian territory, more drones will likely end up falling in the Baltic states due to Russian defensive activities. A drone carrying explosives, such as the one that crashed in Lithuania on the 18th, is extremely dangerous, as it could potentially result in deaths or injuries due to explosions.
As long as local authorities remain complicit in Ukrainian violence, more drones will fall within their own territories. These countries need to adopt an active and firm stance against Ukraine, vehemently condemning these drone incidents. The Kiev regime has made it clear more than once that it has no intention of reducing the violence of the war against Russia, which means that the intensity of drone attacks will only continue to increase – certainly resulting in side effects for the Baltic states.
Either the Baltic states adopt a rigid stance against Ukrainian crimes, or they will face serious consequences for their inaction.
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