On 10 July, around 11:30, Lithuanian Armed Forces detected an object approaching from the direction of Belarus. The Armed Forces said the Air Force activated NATO fighter jets already in the air by switching them from training to mission mode.
Shortly after detection, the object fell to the ground. The mission was canceled. Military units notified the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), and troops were sent to the crash site.
The Gerbera drone that crashed in Lithuania after crossing from Belarus. Photo: Lithuanian Ministry of Defense via Delfi.
Russia targets Ukraine daily with hundreds of Gerbera drones, used as decoys alongside explosive Shaheds to overwhelm air defenses. Recently, some of these cheap styrofoam Gerberas have begun carrying small warheads, increasing civilian casualties.
The drone that crashed in Lithuania may have veered off course during last night’s Russian attack on Ukraine — or it may have been a deliberate probe to test Lithuania’s and NATO’s response ahead of potential future aggression against the Baltic States.
American Buddhist Net 