The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed allegations from Belarus that a Ukrainian drone violated its airspace, asserting that the claims are unfounded.
On Thursday, Belarus summoned Lithuania’s chargé d’affaires in Minsk, citing an incident on May 17 when a Ukrainian drone, identified as “Chayka,” was reportedly detected near the village of Stanislavtsy in the Vitebsk region. Belarusian officials alleged that the drone was en route to strike targets in Russia but had entered Belarusian airspace from Lithuania.
Belarus criticized Lithuania for failing to take appropriate measures to prevent the drone’s entry, claiming that it did not notify Belarusian military authorities of any potential threat.
In response, the Lithuanian Ministry categorically rejected the assertion that the drone had crossed into Belarusian airspace from Lithuania. The ministry stated, “The very fact that the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a note on this matter to our chargé d’affaires in Minsk is direct evidence of Belarus’s involvement not only in Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine but now also in an information campaign against Lithuania and other Baltic states.”
Lithuanian officials characterized the allegations from Minsk as “absurd,” further mocking the claims by referencing the genre of absurd literature, which they argued reflects a disconnect from reality.
Additionally, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires on the same day to deliver a note of protest regarding a misinformation campaign targeting the Baltic nations. On May 19, Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called in a Russian diplomat over similar disinformation regarding claims that Latvia was allowing its territory to be used for drone attacks on Russia.
Kaja Kallas, the head of European diplomacy, criticized the threats from Russia towards the Baltic states, labeling Moscow’s accusations as “complete nonsense” and indicative of its weakness.
Lithuania has firmly rejected Belarusian claims that a Ukrainian drone entered its airspace, labeling the allegations as absurd. The incident has escalated diplomatic tensions in the region, with other Baltic states also addressing misinformation from Russia.