An unidentified drone crossed the Lithuanian border from the direction of Belarus overnight on 22–23 March and crashed near the village of Lavišas in the Varėna district, Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reports. The wreckage, including an internal combustion engine, has since been recovered.
Surveillance footage shows the incident occurred at 3 am on 23 March. Video obtained by LRT on 23 March captures the sound of a buzzing object, a subsequent explosion, and burning debris.
What was found — and what was not
Lithuanian Armed Forces spokesperson Major Gintautas Čunis confirmed that the wreckage of the exploded object had been located. He said investigators recovered an internal combustion engine among the fragments.
No explosives were found at the scene, but Čunis cautioned against drawing conclusions: "That doesn't mean there were none. All details will become known only after the investigation," he said.
Čunis also disclosed that the Lithuanian army did not detect the drone overnight — and neither did border guards.
Security response
Prime Minister Inga Rugienė convened an emergency session of the National Security Commission for Tuesday at 10:00, according to LRT.
Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, quoted by LRT, linked the incident directly to the ongoing war: "As long as Russia's war in Ukraine continues, the likelihood of such incidents remains high, which is why Lithuania is investing in air defense and enhanced surveillance. However, we must acknowledge that air defense is one of the biggest challenges facing NATO as a whole."
Kaunas said he would travel to Ukraine in the near term for consultations and negotiations on air defense innovations. He also pushed back against any suggestion that such border breaches should be normalized or tolerated: "We must accept the new reality, but we should not make excuses or shirk responsibility — we must work even harder to strengthen our air surveillance and defense capabilities."
Pattern of incidents
Sunday's crash was not an isolated event. In October 2025, drones and weather balloons originating from Belarus were repeatedly detected over Lithuanian territory. On 5 November, Vilnius airport was closed due to an unmanned aerial vehicle; on 26 October, the border with Belarus was shut following a series of attacks involving weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes.
Latvia and Estonia subsequently pledged to close their own border crossings with Belarus if necessary, expressing solidarity with Lithuania.
In December 2025, the frequency of such incidents prompted the Lithuanian government to declare a state of emergency.
