Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and Seimas Speaker Saulius Skvernelis were taken to shelters on Thursday following a violation of Lithuanian airspace from Belarus.
Initial reports suggested that a Shahed drone – the type used by Russia in Ukraine – had entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus, but authorities have not provided official confirmation.
Later, the State Border Guard Service stated that, according to preliminary information, border guards at the Kena checkpoint in Vilnius District spotted a drone entering from Belarus and descending to the ground. The object resembled a homemade aerial vehicle.
The drone reportedly landed near the closed Šumskas border checkpoint, approximately one kilometer from the Belarusian border. According to initial assessments, it was made of plywood and foam, carried no payload, and posed no threat.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether this incident prompted the evacuation of the country’s leaders to shelters, or if there was another airspace violation on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters later, Skvernelis confirmed he was taken to a shelter due to the airspace violation.
“The Dignitary Protection Service told us to go to the shelter, so we did,” Skvernelis said.
Prime Minister Paluckas, who was attending a press briefing at the government office at the time, was also taken to a shelter, according to a BNS reporter present at the event.
Skvernelis described the reason for the sheltering as “an incident involving a flying object,” but declined to provide further details.
“The key thing is that it’s no longer flying,” he added.
President Gitanas Nausėda is currently on a visit to Ireland.
Source: BNS
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