Government Officials Sent to Shelters: Russian Gerbera Drone Flies into Lithuanian Airspace

A Russian Gerbera drone has flown into Lithuanian airspace. The Security Service sent government officials into hiding.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense reported that the Air Force had detected an object approaching the border from the Belarusian side.

The alert status of the fighter jets performing NATO air patrols and in the air at the time was changed from training mode to combat mode.

However, after the object fell, the fighter jets’ mission was canceled.

The Lithuanian military was unable to identify the drone and stated that the object resembled a homemade device and posed no danger. However, published photos show that it was indeed a Russian Gerbera drone.

The Russians began using this foam-bodied UAV against Ukraine in 2024. The Gerbera can be used for electronic reconnaissance, as a kamikaze drone, or as a decoy for air defense. The flight range of this drone with a combat load is probably relatively short and limited to direct radio communication.

Initially, this drone was mistaken for an Iranian Shahed in Lithuania. The country’s leaders were immediately evacuated to shelters, according to BNS.

“The security service told us to take shelter, and we did,” Seimas Speaker Saulius Skvernelis stated.

The Gerbera crashed near a closed checkpoint on the Shumsk border, about a kilometer from the Belarusian border.