Overview

• A Russian Gerbera drone carrying about two kilograms of explosives crashed on a Lithuanian military training ground and was safely disarmed on site
• Lithuania formally requested immediate NATO support to strengthen its air defense after repeated incursions into its airspace
• Germany’s Defense Ministry described the incident as very serious, is coordinating with Lithuanian authorities and is reinforcing its Baltic brigade while funding new drone defense systems
• NATO experts emphasize that invoking Article 5 for such incidents is not automatic and requires a decision by the North Atlantic Council
• The crash has intensified calls among allies to bolster Eastern flank deterrence, plug air and drone defense gaps and improve whole-of-society resilience against Russian threats