Overview

• On July 28 a Russian military drone breached Lithuanian airspace and was later found at a training ground carrying an explosive device.
• Lithuanian General Prosecutor Nida Grunskiene confirmed the device was safely defused on August 1.
• Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys and Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene petitioned NATO chief Mark Rutte for urgent reinforcement of Lithuania’s air-defense capabilities.
• Investigators are probing whether the incursion was accidental or deliberate and have held Belarus responsible for failing to prevent the drone’s passage.
• Germany has agreed to station a brigade in Lithuania by 2027—the first long-term overseas deployment since World War II—as other NATO allies report similar airspace violations.