Homemade Drone-Like Aircraft Crashes in Lithuania Near Belarus
A suspicious homemade aircraft resembling a Shahed-style drone entered Lithuanian airspace from Belarus and crashed near the closed Shumsk border checkpoint on July 10, 2025. The Lithuanian Air Force reported detecting the object around 11:30 a.m. local time as it approached from Belarus. It later came down roughly a kilometer inside Lithuanian territory near the Kena checkpoint in the Vilnius district.
Initially suspected to be a Shahed drone, the object turned out to be a makeshift unmanned aircraft constructed from plywood and foam, with no apparent cargo on board. The Lithuanian Armed Forces deployed troops to the crash site and confirmed that the aircraft posed no threat. A statement from the military described the downed object as “likely homemade and not dangerous.”
Preliminary analysis of the aircraft’s structure and materials suggests it resembles Russia’s Gerbera UAV, a low-cost decoy drone modeled on the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, which Russia uses extensively in its war against Ukraine. The Gerbera is known to mimic the radar profile of the Shahed and is typically constructed from lightweight materials like foam and plywood. It is believed to incorporate components sourced internationally, including Chinese engines and Western-made electronics.
In response to the airspace violation, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas and Parliament Speaker Saulius Skvernelis were temporarily evacuated to a secure shelter. NATO’s Baltic Air Policing fighters, already airborne on a training mission, were shifted to operational readiness but were stood down when the object crashed.
This incident follows a broader trend of aerial incursions into NATO airspace since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. NATO has since intensified its monitoring efforts and boosted its rapid response capabilities across its eastern flank, with recent airspace breaches affecting Poland, Romania, and Moldova.
The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service has also reported an uptick in smuggling activity using unmanned aircraft. In 2025 alone, Lithuanian authorities have intercepted 30 drones smuggling illegal cigarettes from Belarus, down from 54 drone-related incidents recorded in 2024. Officials attribute this drop to enhanced border security measures introduced in recent months.
While the object that crashed on July 10 did not carry contraband, its resemblance to military drones underscores the complexity of Lithuania’s security challenges along the Belarusian border. Authorities continue to investigate the origins and purpose of the aircraft, amid growing regional tensions and concerns about hybrid threats.
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