Sakaliene, SACEUR Grynkewich agree on extra help in protecting Lithuania's airspace

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene sid on Friday it had agreed with Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Alexus Grynkewich on additional allied assistance in protecting the country's airspace following two drone incidents last month when the unmanned aerial vehicles entered Lithuania from Belarus.

"We have agreed with NATO on their involvement in the protection of Lithuanian airspace," the minister said in a Facebook post after her conversation with the NATO commander.

The Alliance will immediately start sharing additional intelligence information to make airspace surveillance more effective, she said.

In addition, a team of NATO experts will visit Lithuania in the coming weeks to assess the country's airspace monitoring system and make recommendations on strengthening air defenses.

"Decisions on additional air defense capabilities will be taken under the coordination of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)," Sakaliene said. "These are necessary steps and an important strategic message to the enemy that our actions will intensify and the message will only get stronger."

In response to Russia's accelerating production and use of drones on the battlefield, Lithuania plans to procure additional air defense capabilities worth 500 million euros, the defense minister added.

A Gerbera drone carrying two kilograms of explosives entered Lithuania on July 28 and was found later found at a military training area in the central district of Jonava on August 1.

It was the second such airspace violation by a drone from Belarus in less than a month. Another Gerbera crossed into Lithuania on July 10.

Military officials believe both drones entered Lithuanian airspace after their flight paths were diverted by electronic warfare as Russia sent them toward Ukraine. Other possibilities are also being investigated.

Following the drone incidents, the Lithuanian defense and foreign ministers sent a joint letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urging allies to deploy anti-drone defense capability in Lithuania.