Drone that flew from Poland into Lithuania and exploded there was Ukrainian
Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius stated that the drone which flew into the country's territory on October 18 came from Poland and was equipped with a combat charge. According to him, there is no doubt about this. The drone was Ukrainian, writes Delfi.lt.
The incident occurred on Sunday. A red alert for air raid was declared in Panevėžys and Šiauliai counties. Lithuanian military reported that drone debris was found in the village of Juodžionys. They damaged a passing car, but the people inside the car were not harmed.
Sinkevičius explained that this incident differed from previous cases of drone detection in Lithuania, as the drone crossed the border from Poland, which is part of the Schengen area. Fighter jets took off and tracked the object, but due to unfavorable weather conditions, they could not see it visually. The causes of the drone's fall and explosion are being investigated: investigators are checking whether it collided with the ground or a tree.
Also, at this meeting of the Lithuanian National Security Committee, the night attempt to set fire to Starlink equipment was discussed. As reported by the Prime Minister of Lithuania, the incident occurred on the territory of the Delska Lithuania company in Vilnius, in the Upper Paneriai district. Starlink equipment was stored there.
According to Sinkevičius, the perpetrators used an incendiary mixture and "Molotov cocktails" to start the fire. The fire was noticed in time by a security guard, who began to extinguish it and called firefighters. The antennas did not catch fire; only the control unit was slightly scorched. By the time rescuers arrived, their assistance was no longer needed. The investigation is ongoing; suspects have not yet been identified and are being actively sought.
Sinkevičius and Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, linked these events to Russia's hybrid activities in the region, aimed, in their assessment, at influencing the success of Ukrainian operations. The Prime Minister called the arson an act of sabotage.
Following the incident, authorities strengthened the protection of critical infrastructure facilities. According to Sinkevičius, special security measures are now in effect at 15 such facilities. Discussions also covered how to improve the informing and protection of companies related to the defense industry.
The Prime Minister added that representatives of Delska Lithuania were warned last Friday about the need to enhance security. This happened shortly before the arson attempt.
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