Lithuania’s chargé d’affaires ad interim in Belarus, Erikas Vilkanecas, was summoned to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on December 1. The diplomat was handed a protest over an alleged violation of Belarus’ state border by a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Lithuanian territory on November 30, 2025, reported the state-run news agency BelTA, citing the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
“The UAV illegally entered the airspace of the Republic of Belarus from Lithuania’s Lazdijai District and crashed within the city of Grodno. An analysis of the debris, including video stored on flash drives and navigation data, indicates that the route of the Western European–made UAV envisaged a flight over Belarusian territory, a crossing into Poland, and a return along the same route to the launch point in Lithuania.
“We view these actions as a deliberate provocation not only against the Republic of Belarus, but also the Republic of Poland. Such actions pose a threat to the security of the Republic of Belarus and constitute a direct violation of international law, including the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation,” the statement said.
Minsk is demanding that Vilnius “immediately provide detailed and comprehensive information” about the incident, including the purpose of the launch and the UAV’s operator.
Belarus is also calling for a thorough investigation and for those responsible for organizing what it called a provocative act to be held to account.
“The Republic of Belarus reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security, depending on how the situation develops,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Background: On November 24, Lithuania experienced its “most tense” night in November due to a mass incursion of balloons from Belarus. Some of the aerostats were also observed in neighboring Latvia.
That same day, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene said she did not rule out re-closing border checkpoints with Belarus because of continued balloon incursions carrying contraband.
