Hotline with Belarus via army channels works independently of politics — Commander of Lithuanian Armed Forces
“This in no way means that we call as friends and ask what you had for dinner or how you spent your weekend.”
Raimundas Vaikšnoras / Photo: GenerolasVaiksnoras / Facebook
Commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Raimundas Vaikšnoras stated that the so-called hotline with Belarus operates independently of the political situation, but this does not mean maintaining constant contact with Minsk.
“No matter the political situation, the hotline remains. Yes, for some time it was inactive, but when similar incidents occur, like last year's 'Gerbera' arrival, there is now a risk of this or that object arriving simply because there is a war in Ukraine,” Vaikšnoras said on LRT radio.
“Such hotlines are necessary. Whether they are actively used or not, in similar situations they help avoid misunderstandings. Specifically, at a technical level. This in no way means that we call as friends and ask what you had for dinner or how you spent your weekend,” he noted.
The commander of the Lithuanian army made this statement after a drone violated Lithuania's airspace on Wednesday, resulting in an air raid alert being declared in the eastern part of the country for approximately two hours.
Commander of the Land Forces Nerijus Stankevičius previously reported that Belarus had informed about the suspected drone flying towards Lithuania. This coincided with radar data from the Lithuanian and Latvian armies, after which NATO air policing was activated.
“First there was a call from the operational duty officer of our Air Force. Of course, as always, they [Belarus] initially denied everything, but when, apparently, there was no other option, they called back and reported the risk of intrusion into our territory,” said Vaikšnoras.
According to the commander-in-chief, Lithuania, Latvia, and NATO allies had previously observed unclear activity on radar in Belarusian territory, which indicated that,
that “the Belarusians themselves tried to neutralize or intercept the objects by some actions.”
On Thursday, Lithuanian military personnel resumed the drone search, which had been interrupted by nightfall.
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