Russian Gerbera Drone Crosses Belarus-Lithuania Border Found Military Training Ground

A drone believed to be Russian-made, specifically a Gerbera model designed to mimic combat Shahed drones and deceive air defense systems, entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and was found at the Gaižiūnai military training grounds. The Lithuanian Armed Forces detected the incursion on July 28 and conducted a search that led to the drone's discovery, with officials reviewing the data for any potential danger before applying standard procedures. Lithuania's Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė confirmed the incident and acknowledged previous similar events, including a July 10 drone incursion that prompted fighter jet deployment and temporary sheltering of Lithuania's leadership. Criticism arose over the slow response to the drone's flight, leading the defense ministry to pledge a review of response protocols to better enable the military to address such threats. The incident fits within a pattern of regional drone activity, with a similar Russian-made drone crashing in Latvia in September 2024, highlighting ongoing security concerns in the Baltic region. Belarusian authorities also reported a separate incident involving a drone crash in Minsk, which contained explosives and shrapnel, with Belarusian leadership calling for careful de-escalation.