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Mystery Drone From Belarus Spotted Near Vilnius, Lithuanian Authorities Say
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![Photo of Maryna Kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
An unidentified drone is believed to have entered Lithuanian airspace after possibly crossing from Belarus, Lithuanian officials confirmed on July 28, according to public broadcaster LRT.
Residents reported seeing what looked like a drone in the sky early Monday morning.
“Early in the day, we received several reports from residents about an unmanned aerial vehicle that likely entered Lithuania from Belarus. Witnesses saw it flying at around 200 meters altitude, with the last sighting near Vilnius. The exact type of drone remains unknown,” said Darius Buta, a representative of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre.
Buta added that police forces have been fully mobilized and other relevant agencies have been notified. Authorities are urging the public not to approach the drone if spotted on the ground and to report any further sightings immediately.
JUST IN: An unidentified drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus early Monday morning, sparking a full-scale response from Lithuanian authorities. The drone was last seen flying at an altitude of around 200 meters near Vilnius, the capital city. pic.twitter.com/9O1ToMyokh
— GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo) July 28, 2025
Social media users claimed they saw the drone near the border shortly before 5 a.m. local time. One witness reported hearing a loud buzzing sound over Vilnius’ Šnipiškės district at approximately 4:40 a.m.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said investigations are ongoing to determine the nature of the object.
"Today's weather conditions are favorable for meteorological balloons, which smugglers often use to transport goods. At this time, we cannot confirm what kind of object or objects we’re dealing with,” she said.
Presidential adviser Tomas Beržinskas told LRT that President Gitanas Nausėda had been informed of the incident but did not take shelter.
A similar incident occurred on July 10, when another drone breached Lithuanian airspace.
It was first identified as a Iranian-made Shahed drone, but the Lithuanian authorities later clarified that it was actually an improvised, plywood-and-foam drone, likely launched as a decoy or reconnaissance tool.
That aircraft was later identified as a Russian "Gerbera" drone, likely launched as a decoy or reconnaissance tool, visually similar to the Iranian-made Shahed.
Šakalienė noted that the Ministry of Defense remains in constant communication with the Ministry of the Interior.
“We are working closely with internal security agencies to assess what additional measures might be necessary to enhance airspace control. Tomorrow, we will present our proposals during a meeting with the president,” she added.
Earlier, Lithuania announced plans to contribute up to €30 million toward Ukraine’s purchase of US-made Patriot air defense systems. Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė confirmed the initiative during a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on July 25 in Washington, D.C.
