A drone intercepted and downed over Lithuanian territory by an Italian NATO fighter jet on Tuesday was of a type used by Russia and was most likely aimed at Ukraine, Lithuania's president said on Wednesday.
President Gitanas Nauseda identified the vehicle as "a Gerbera drone," describing it as a low-cost, plywood long-range aerial drone commonly used by Russia. He noted that Gerbera drones are frequently deployed as decoys but can also be configured to carry explosives.
On the circumstances of the incident, Nauseda told reporters: "It was most likely not a conscious action against Lithuania. It [the drone] was probably targeted towards Ukraine but affected by Ukrainian electronic warfare and deviated off course." He added that the Lithuanian army is examining the drone's electronic components to establish whether and how it was being guided.
The downing marks the first time a suspected Russian drone has been shot down by the NATO Baltic Air Defence mission, which has monitored the skies over the region since the Baltic states joined NATO in 2004. The incident follows a string of drone incursions observed by countries on NATO's eastern flank, which have heightened concerns about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine spreading beyond their borders.
Russia has not issued a comment on the episode. Nauseda also said: "The security situation has not changed." He cautioned, however, that while there is no indication of a major operation being mounted against Lithuania or NATO, the possibility remains of "certain incidents, provocation, sabotage acts, including false-flag operations." He also mentioned that attacks targeting Russian opposition activists or Ukrainian supporters are possible.
In a related development, the Polish military reported on Monday that it recovered from the Baltic Sea what appears to be a Russian drone, the Polish defence minister said.
The episode underscores ongoing uncertainty along NATO's eastern boundaries as nations continue to monitor and analyse incursions and the origins, intent, and guidance systems of unmanned aerial vehicles operating in and near allied airspace.