Lithuania seeks increased defense budget for air protection

Lithuanian Prime Minister Motiejus Sinkevičius has called for a larger share of the national defense budget to be allocated to air defense. During a visit to the Air Space Surveillance and Control Center in the Kaunas district, Sinkevičius emphasized the need to focus on both long-range and short-range kinetic measures to secure the nation's airspace.

The Prime Minister noted that strengthening air defense is critical due to an increase in related incidents, including seven instances of unauthorized drone incursions over the past few years. He expressed hope that Lithuania will achieve a fully integrated air detection system before 2030, despite current financial and manufacturing constraints.

Colonel Antanas Matutis, commander of the Air Force, stated that while total surveillance is impossible, monitoring capabilities are improving through the deployment of new sensors. Additionally, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas has previously warned that Russia may consider attacks against critical infrastructure in the Baltic region using modified Ukrainian drones.