Russian "Gerbera" drone shot down in Lithuania, Nausėda says
Lithuania has established that the drone shot down by a missile overnight on September 14–15 was a Russian Gerbera.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said this in comments to Delfi, cited by Censor.NET.
Nausėda discusses the downed drone
The Lithuanian president said specialists are examining the drone’s electronic components. According to him, this could reveal more about its origin and the circumstances of its flight.
Nausėda suggested that the drone may have been disrupted by electronic warfare systems used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. That, he said, could explain why it ended up in Lithuania rather than Ukraine.
"Its electronic components are still being examined. It appears that the information can be recovered, giving us considerably more data about where it came from, how it got here and under what circumstances," the Lithuanian president said.
Lithuania seeks alternatives to missiles
Nausėda said similar incidents could become more frequent in the future. He stressed the need to detect drones promptly and respond quickly to the threat.
According to him, drones should be countered with means other than missiles as well.
"There is a whole range of air defence systems and short-range drone interceptors, and they should provide alternative ways to respond," Nausėda said.
The Lithuanian president also said the country is strengthening its integrated air defence, although errors still occur in its operation.
"We want the risk to people’s lives to be minimised as much as possible," Nausėda stressed.
- Earlier, video footage showing the Russian drone being shot down over Lithuania by a NATO fighter jet was posted online.
