“We Must Move From Patrolling to Air Defense”: Lithuanian Speaker Calls to Shoot Down Russian, Belarusian Drones

The Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas , Juozas Olekas, stated that the Baltic nations must move beyond simply intercepting Russian aircraft and Belarusian drones, and should acquire the capability to shoot down violators.

Olekas shared his perspective in an interview with Ukrinform on October 29.

The speaker also called for considering stricter retaliatory measures against provocations originating from Belarus.

“We are part of NATO, and we are discussing among ourselves the need to change the current situation in the Baltic countries, where only air patrolling is carried out. These forces operate quite actively but often arrive with a delay to control the airspace. Our goal is to move from air patrolling to air defense so that, given appropriate decisions, we can not only intercept but also shoot down violators,” he stated.

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War in Ukraine

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His comments follow the fourth suspension of Vilnius Airport's operations within a single week due to weather balloons launched from Belarusian territory. Olekas believes there are several ways to address these recurring provocations.

“One option is to establish better control over these balloons and ensure kinetic capabilities for shooting them down. Another option is closing the border or perhaps suspending railway transit through Lithuania, as these balloons pose a danger,” the Lithuanian politician noted.

Olekas added that during recent meetings with the President, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada , and the Prime Minister of Ukraine, officials discussed opportunities for joint ventures and cooperation between various manufacturers of drones and other systems to prevent airspace violations across different regions of Europe, not just in Ukraine.

Earlier, Lithuania established a determined strategy to address recurrent airspace violations originating from Belarus, which incorporates the possibility of permanently sealing its border and granting the military authorization to shoot down encroaching aerial objects.

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