Ukraine apologizes after stray drone crashes in northern Lithuania
Ukraine has apologized after a drone crashed in northern Lithuania on Sunday, LRT and DW reported. Lithuania's defense minister said the drone strayed from a Ukrainian attack on St Petersburg, LRT reported. Debris from the drone hit a car, but no one was hurt.
Ukraine has apologized after a drone crashed in northern Lithuania on Sunday morning, the Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT and DW reported. Debris from the drone damaged a civilian car, but no one was injured, LRT and DW reported.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said the drone was part of a Ukrainian attack on St Petersburg and strayed into Lithuania because of Russian electronic warfare, LRT reported. He said early information pointed to a Ukrainian-made drone, LRT said. DW reported that Kyiv said Russian jamming may have diverted drones aimed at Russia.
Earlier on Sunday, Kaunas said the drone was believed to have entered Lithuanian airspace from Poland, and he asked Poland to join the investigation, LRT and DW reported.
Authorities urged residents in parts of central and northern Lithuania to take shelter on Sunday morning, DW reported. LRT said a red air alert was issued in two counties and lifted about an hour later.
Two Italian Eurofighter jets under NATO command were sent up, a NATO spokesperson said, according to DW. Euronews reported that NATO jets tracked the object over the Biržai district. Bad weather kept the pilots from identifying it by sight, Kaunas said, according to DW and Euronews.
The debris was found in a village in the Pasvalys district, LRT reported. It said the drone exploded on impact.
Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on St Petersburg since 2022 on Sunday, and an oil refinery caught fire, LRT reported.
Lithuania's president called the crash another example of the war spilling onto NATO's eastern flank, DW reported. Kaunas said the drone was not linked to an attempted arson attack on Starlink equipment in Vilnius, LRT reported.
Lithuania will have stronger air defenses in a few years, but fighter jets are the best response for now, Kaunas said, according to LRT.
What we know: A drone crashed in northern Lithuania on Sunday and damaged a car, and Ukraine has apologized.
What we don't: Whether investigators have confirmed the drone's origin and whether it carried explosives.
Where outlets agree LRT and DW report that a drone crashed in northern Lithuania on Sunday, that its debris damaged a civilian car without hurting anyone, and that Ukraine apologized.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.