Lithuania will ask NATO for permission to shoot down drones without prior confirmation

 Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has stated that the Baltic nation will request permission from NATO to shoot down drones that enter its airspace, even without visual confirmation, according to the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.

Last Sunday, citing the Lithuanian Armed Forces, LRT reported that authorities had discovered what appeared to be the wreckage of a drone in the village of Juodėniai, in the Pasvalys district; the drone may have entered Lithuanian airspace from the direction of Poland. The impact of the drone caused damage to a vehicle. Ukraine later acknowledged that one of its drones had violated Lithuanian airspace.

 "Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius stated in an interview with the LRT television program 'Topic of the Day' that Lithuania, following Poland's example, is initiating discussions with NATO regarding the possibility of shooting down objects that violate its airspace, even without visual confirmation," the report states.

According to Sinkevičius, under current protocols, an object entering the country's territory cannot be shot down if it cannot be visually sighted, for instance, due to cloud cover or other adverse weather conditions. Lithuanian authorities intend to consult with NATO to review these operational procedures.