"Drone barrier". European Commissioner addresses Baltic states on Russia's threat

European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius has called on Lithuania and other Baltic states to create a "drone barrier" and establish mass production of drones after a Russian Gerbera UAV arrived on Lithuanian territory from Belarus on July 10. The European official delegated by Lithuania said this in an interview with the country's public broadcaster LRT.

"[This incident] shows that the possibility of such a drone entering the territory of Lithuania exists. Whether Lithuania is ready to defend itself against such drones, whether it has sufficient capabilities, is an unanswered question," Kubilius said.

Therefore, the European official added, he always calls on Lithuania and other states in the region to take care of creating a plan to protect the eastern border: "First of all, by installing a number of physical barriers on the ground... In my opinion, such a plan should include not only a physical border, but also the creation of a "drone barrier.".

In May 2024, the then Minister of the Interior of Lithuania, Agne Bilotaite, announced that the countries of the region had agreed to create a "drone barrier" that would include UAVs to monitor part of the border and anti-drone systems to suppress their use by hostile countries for smuggling and provocations. However, as of early March 2025, Lithuania and Estonia have not received funding from the European Union for this project.

Kubilius noted that there are "not too many" signs of readiness of Lithuania and the Baltic states to repel possible drone attacks from Russia.

"Therefore, today it is not so much necessary to produce drones or purchase them and store them in a warehouse, but to train and prepare teams of specialists who could very quickly produce the necessary number of drones for this barrier," the European official said.

In his opinion, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia should have a common concept not only for creating a physical barrier on the border, but also for a "drone barrier," including preparations for mass production of UAVs.

At the end of June, Kubilius called on Europe to start creating an army of drones to protect against a possible Russian attack.

• On the morning of July 10, a Russian Gerbera drone flew into Lithuania from Belarus and crashed on its own. According to the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, the country has no evidence that the drone was "deliberately sent" to its territory.
• The Lithuanian Armed Forces noted that the investigation into the drone is still ongoing, but it is already clear that the drone did not pose a threat, as it is "a piece of foam and wood with some wires".
• On July 11, it became known that mobile fire teams will appear in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius to protect critical infrastructure from drones.
• Interlocutor LIGA.net in Ukrainian intelligence reported that On July 12, a Belarusian helicopter shot down a Russian Gerbera drone flying towards Ukraine.
• Russian drones have repeatedly violated the airspace of NATO countries., In particular, in the fall of 2024, a Russian drone crashed in Latvia.