Unmanned drone launched from Lithuania crashes in Belarusian city

Belarus has lodged a protest to Lithuania over an unmanned drone that crashed in Grodno. The incident, reported today, December 1st, was confirmed by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is reported that on November 30th, a drone of aircraft type was launched from the Lazdijai district in Lithuania and crashed within the city limits of Grodno.
“Analysis of the wreckage, including video recordings and navigation data found on the flash drives, indicates that the route of the UAV of Western European production intended to fly over Belarusian territory, transit to Poland, and return along the same route to the take-off point in Lithuania,” said the Belarusian authorities.
In response to the incident, Lithuania’s temporary chargé d’affaires in Minsk, Erikas Vilkanecas, was summoned by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We view these actions as a deliberate provocation not only against the Republic of Belarus but also against 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 Belarusian side demands that Lithuania immediately provide detailed and exhaustive information on the circumstances of this incident, including the objectives of the launch and the operator of the aircraft; conduct a thorough investigation and hold those responsible for organizing this provocative act accountable; and take immediate and comprehensive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” stated the Belarusian foreign policy body.
The Belarusian authorities also declared that they ‘reserve the right to take all necessary measures to protect their sovereignty and security, based on the current situation’.
Recall that the unmanned drone, launched from Lithuanian territory, was found the day before on one of the streets in Grodno. During the inspection by the local law enforcement, it was determined that the drone was equipped with a photo-video camera capable of collecting reconnaissance data. Additionally, extremist printed materials were dropped from the drone.