Drone that crashed in Lithuania came from Ukraine, PM says


FILE PHOTO: Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene looks on during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in Berlin, Germany, January 29, 2026. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo

VILNIUS, March 24 (Reuters) - ⁠A military drone that crashed in Lithuania ⁠came from Ukraine and was aimed at ‌attacking Russia's oil exports before going astray, the Baltic country's government said on Tuesday.

Lithuania's armed forces said on ​Monday a suspected drone had entered ⁠the country's airspace ⁠and crashed into an ice-covered lake some 20 ⁠km (12 miles) ‌from the border of Belarus.

It was part of a Ukrainian attack on ⁠the Primorsk oil loading terminal, one of ​two major ‌export facilities on Russia's Baltic Sea coast ⁠that were ​hit around the same time, the Lithuanian government said.

"This is not a local incident, this is ⁠a part of wider security ​picture. Russian aggression against Ukraine creates additional risks for the whole region,"Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene told ⁠a press conference on Tuesday.

NATO alliance member Lithuania is a staunch supporter of Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Lithuania last year asked NATO ​for more air defences after ⁠military drones from Belarus landed on its territory ​twice in July 2025.Lithuanian intelligence ‌said earlier this month that ​both drones had entered Lithuania accidentally.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas, editing by Terje Solsvik)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Thousands march in Albanian capital as anti-government protests spread
'Wild-eyed' comedian Russell Brand tried to drag me into toilets, woman tells UK court
Italy prolongs Schengen suspension with Spain, talks loom
Russian drones kill 3 people in Ukraine, cut power to hundreds of thousands
Analysis-Brazil's incoming right-wing Congress takes aim at judge who jailed Bolsonaro
Pope Leo to make Sunday appearance after 'steady improvement', Vatican says
Hegseth's TV instincts backfire as Trump rejects execution livestream
Zelenskiy blasts Trump's diesel deal and calls Russian peace moves a 'parody'
Air India cancels flights to, from Saudi Arabia until Oct. 20
SriLankan Airlines extends suspension of Saudi Arabia flights until Oct. 24

Others Also Read