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The unmanned aerial vehicle shot down in Lithuanian airspace overnight into September 15 was carrying explosives.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas posted a statement to this effect on social media.
“Operation Shield has been completed. According to the latest information, explosives were found and neutralised by bomb disposal experts. Specialists will continue to examine the unmanned aerial vehicle,” he said.
On the morning of September 15, Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre reported that Italian pilots flying Eurofighter fighter jets stationed at Šiauliai Air Base had shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle overnight in Lithuania’s Kaišiadorys district. According to the statement, the drone had apparently entered Lithuania from Belarusian territory and was heading towards the western part of the country.
The downing of the aircraft was followed by efforts to collect its debris. The “Shield” plan was activated, a procedure normally activated at incident sites when there is a risk of an explosion.
The Centre said that the downed drone had most likely been equipped with explosives.