Lyce · Hybrid Watch
hw_8ab676d4122e9261
Russian Gerbera drone enters Lithuania from Belarus and crashes near the border.
On 10 July 2025, a drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and crashed approximately one kilometre inside Lithuanian territory. Initial reports variously described it as an unidentified aircraft, a homemade drone or a possible Shahed-type aircraft. Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė subsequently confirmed that it was a Russian Gerbera drone. Gerberas are commonly used as decoys to complicate air-defence detection and interception, although some variants can carry explosives. According to LRT’s subsequent clarification, NATO fighter jets were not scrambled to intercept this drone, which crashed on its own. LRT On 16 July, Lithuania summoned Belarus’s chargé d’affaires and delivered a diplomatic protest over the unauthorised entry. The Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation and measures to prevent further incidents. urm.lt While the drone’s purpose was initially uncertain, Lithuania’s 2026 National Threat Assessment subsequently stated that the Russian Gerbera drones which crashed on 10 and 28 July 2025 had entered Lithuanian airspace accidentally. This incident should therefore be recorded as an officially identified Russian drone incursion, not a confirmed deliberate attack against Lithuania. It is separate from the 28 July incident involving a drone carrying an explosive charge, and that payload must not be attributed to the 10 July crash.
E/M/R/S scores
- EExistence0/4 · Not assessed
- MIntent0/4 · Not assessed
- RRussian actor link0/4 · Not assessed
- SRussian state responsibility0/4 · Not assessed
Facts
No facts
Sources
-
- Role
- discovery_lead
- Date
- 2025-07-10T07:53:52Z
On 10 July 2025, a drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and crashed approximately one kilometre inside Lithuanian territory. Initial reports variously described it as an unidentified aircraft, a homemade drone or a possible Shahed-type aircraft. Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė subsequently confirmed that it was a Russian Gerbera drone. Gerberas are commonly used as decoys to complicate air-defence detection and interception, although some variants can carry explosives. According to LRT’s subsequent clarification, NATO fighter jets were not scrambled to intercept this drone, which crashed on its own. LRT On 16 July, Lithuania summoned Belarus’s chargé d’affaires and delivered a diplomatic protest over the unauthorised entry. The Foreign Ministry demanded an explanation and measures to prevent further incidents. urm.lt While the drone’s purpose was initially uncertain, Lithuania’s 2026 National Threat Assessment subsequently stated that the Russian Gerbera drones which crashed on 10 and 28 July 2025 had entered Lithuanian airspace accidentally. This incident should therefore be recorded as an officially identified Russian drone incursion, not a confirmed deliberate attack against Lithuania. It is separate from the 28 July incident involving a drone carrying an explosive charge, and that payload must not be attributed to the 10 July crash.