By Evaldas Labanauskas, LRT.lt.

The European Commission is “carefully assessing” a request from the Baltic states for 500 million euros to strengthen defences against drones, saying it understands the security concerns facing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and takes them “very seriously”.

LRT.lt received the commission’s response Thursday evening after the defence ministers of the three Baltic states sent a letter to Brussels on Monday requesting urgent funding to strengthen the region’s defences against the growing threat from Russia.

“We understand the concerns of our member states and take them very seriously,” the European Commission said in its response, confirming that it had received the letter and was carefully examining it.

The letter requesting funds was signed by Estonian Defence Minister Martin Herem, Latvian Defence Minister Raivis Melnis and Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas. It is classified, but Kaunas has disclosed some details of the Baltic proposal.

According to Kaunas, the three countries want to develop a counter-drone air defence system that could eventually serve as a model for other EU countries.

Read more: LRT.LT