Latest news with #KestutisBudrys
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Call for Nato action after Russian drone intrudes on Lithuania
Lithuania has called for Nato help to boost its air defences after Russian military drones repeatedly violated its airspace. 'Last Monday, a Russian military drone violated Lithuanian airspace,' said Kęstutis Budrys, the foreign minister in Vilnius. 'This marks the second such incident in less than a month. Similar airspace violations have also been reported recently by other allies.' Budrys added that he and the defence minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, had asked the Nato secretary general for 'immediate measures to enhance air defence capabilities in Lithuania and accelerate the full implementation of the rotational air defence model. Air defence is vital to allied security. Securing Nato's eastern flank must remain a top priority for the alliance.' Amid the nuclear row between Donald Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, the Kremlin has moved to play down the latter's role in Russian decision-making, the Institute for the Study of War has said. The thinktank said Medvedev was subsequently being portrayed as having a 'different assessment' from Putin on nuclear issues. An ISW assessment said: 'The Kremlin regularly uses Medvedev to introduce nuclear threats into the Russian and international information spaces.' Medvedev, a high-ranked official who was once prime minister of Russia, as well as a proxy for Putin in the presidency, accused Trump of taking 'a step towards war' by tightening an ultimatum for Russia to seek peace. Trump in response said he had moved two nuclear submarines into position 'just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that'. The ISW further assessed that 'Kremlin officials utilised three main framings to respond to Trump's decision to redeploy the submarines: posing Trump's decision to redeploy the submarines as 'emotional,' discounting the threat that this decision poses to Russia, and posturing Russia as a more responsible international actor than the United States … These official Russian responses ignore the Kremlin's history of frequently using nuclear saber-rattling to push the west to make decisions that benefit Russia. On the battlefield, the ISW said that Ukrainian forces had recently advanced near Pokrovsk, which Russian forces have been trying to capture since at least July 2024. Russian forces recently advanced near Kupyansk, Siversk, Toretsk, and Velykomykhailivka, the institute said. Russian claimed on Tuesday to have captured the village of Sichneve in east-central Dnipropetrovsk region. The Reuters news agency, which carried the claim, said it could not independently confirm it. Donald Trump has said he will make a decision on whether to sanction countries that purchase Russian oil after a meeting with Russian officials scheduled for Wednesday. Steve Witkoff – real estate promoter, friend of Trump and officially his Russia envoy – arrived in Moscow on Wednesday morning to meet with Russian leadership. A Bloomberg report suggested that Putin might agree to a ceasefire in terms of airstrikes but not on the ground. Also on Tuesday, the Financial Times reported that Trump's administration is considering additional sanctions on Russia's 'shadow fleet' of oil tankers that illicitly move Russian oil. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president, said on Tuesday he'd had a 'productive' conversation with Trump about ending the war, sanctions on Russia and the finalisation of a US-Ukraine drone deal. Ukraine, he said, had long supported US proposals for an immediate ceasefire and had proposed a number of formats to implement a halt to the fighting. 'We have spoken with and proposed to Russia quiet in the skies, no missile and drone attacks and specifically no attacks on civilian infrastructure or on the energy sector. All of this has been violated by the Russians and in a very cynical fashion.' The $300m superyacht of a sanctioned Russian billionaire is being auctioned off. The 348-foot (106-metre) Amadea was seized in Fiji in April 2022 from its former owner, Suleiman Kerimov, and is berthed in San Diego California. The auction is being held by National Maritime Services, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, company. Sealed bids are being accepted until 10 September subject to a $10m deposit. The US Congress has passed legislation allowing the sale of seized Russian assets to fund humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Lithuania urges Nato action after Russian drone with explosives enters airspace
Lithuania has requested immediate Nato support to bolster its air defence after a Russian drone carrying explosives entered its airspace from Belarus read more Lithuania asked Nato assistance on Tuesday to strengthen its air defences after discovering that a Russian military drone that flew into the Baltic state last week was carrying explosives. Kestutis Budrys, the foreign minister, described the event as 'an alarming sign of the spillover of Russia's aggression against Ukraine onto Nato territory' and claimed it was one of several such ones that had occurred recently. Budrys stated that he had written to Nato commander Mark Rutte, requesting 'immediate measures to enhance air defence capabilities in Lithuania,' including aviation patrols from the country's Nato partners. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene stated that the government is developing mobile formations to respond to drone threats, as well as deploying 'an air defence unit equipped with short-range weapons.' The drone flew in from Kremlin ally Belarus, which neighbours Lithuania, on July 28 and was spotted flying over parts of the capital Vilnius. Russia regularly flies missiles and drones aimed at Ukraine over Belarus, which was also one of the launch points for its full-scale invasion in 2022. The drone was eventually found in a military training area on August 1. Lithuanian officials said they believed it was a drone model called Gerbera, used for attack and surveillance missions. Prosecutor-general Nida Grunskiene said it was 'carrying an explosive device, which was successfully neutralised by Lithuanian armed forces specialists at the scene'. 'One of the main theories of the investigation is that the unmanned aircraft accidentally entered Lithuanian territory. 'I would like to stress that other theories are being investigated in parallel,' she said. Lithuanian air force chief Dainius Paskevicius said that 'around two kilogrammes of explosive materials were found'. Another Gerbera drone flew into Lithuania from neighbouring Belarus last month, causing alarm before the authorities declared it was not dangerous. 'This marks the second such incident in less than a month. Similar airspace violations have also been reported recently by other allies,' Budrys said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The threat is real and growing,' he added. Russian drones and missiles have also entered and exited the airspace of Nato members Latvia, Poland and Romania several times in the three and a half years of war. Russian drone fragments have been found in Latvia and Romania. Budrys said that Belarus had a responsibility to prevent such incidents in Lithuania. 'If Belarus fails to take action to minimise the potential damage on our side, Lithuania will respond with political and other measures,' he said.
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Lithuania presses NATO to fix air defence gap amid Baltic drone incursions
Vilnius has once again called on its military allies for support in the form of additional air defence capabilities, following a series of drone incursions into its airspace that officials suspect are linked to Russia. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Kestutis Budrys wrote on X that a Russian military drone had "violated Lithuanian airspace" earlier last week. It was "the second such incident in less than a month." Last Friday, the Lithuanian army also discovered what it believes to be a Russian aircraft at a military training base, following a similar incident earlier in the week. Budrys said that he and Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys had sent a letter to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte 'calling for immediate measures to enhance air defence capabilities in Lithuania accelerate the full implementation of the rotational air defence model.' This request echoes earlier efforts. As Euractiv reported two years ago, the Baltic countries had already been pushing for a rotational model of air defence deployments from NATO allies, rather than occasional or ad hoc support. The renewed plea highlights that, despite heightened European focus on air defence since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, long-standing gaps in the Baltic region remain unaddressed. Germany, for instance, has sent its Patriot systems to Lithuania. However, Budrys did not specify the timeline requested by Vilnius for setting up a rotation of air systems. Air defence systems are among the most expensive and sophisticated pieces of defence equipment. A single Patriot battery costs around $1 billion, with each missile priced at $4 million. Delivery times are measured in years. Lithuania is located in the Baltic region and borders both Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. In an interview with Euractiv, Andris Sprūds, the defence minister of neighbouring Latvia, said that NATO's policing missions in the Baltics should be extended to include drone surveillance, as well as monitoring aircraft. Drones have become a key part of modern warfare since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in the winter of 2022. (de)
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Lithuania asks NATO for more air defences after drones land on its territory
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox VILNIUS - Lithuania's foreign ministry has written to the NATO military alliance asking it to strengthen its air defences, it said on Tuesday, after two military drones have crossed into its territory from Belarus in less than a month. "This must not be only Lithuania's responsibility, because we are defending the eastern NATO flank," Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told reporters. NATO and European Union member Lithuania borders Russia and Moscow's ally, Belarus. The letter from Lithuania's foreign and defence ministers to NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte said the alliance must show it is ready to defend "every centimetre of its territory". In the most recent incident, a drone crossed into Lithuania on July 28, which Lithuania suspects was directed by Russia at Ukraine, but that it was disoriented by Ukraine's defences, Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Tuesday. The drone was found crashed in a military training area about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) from the border with Belarus and contained 2 kg (4 lb) of explosives, the chief of staff of the Lithuanian army, Dainius Paskevicius, told reporters. Sakaliene had earlier identified the object as a Gerbera drone, a wooden copy of an Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drone, which Russian military is known to use. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore More train rides taken in first half-year, but overall public transport use stays below 2019 levels Singapore BlueSG needs time to develop software, refresh fleet, say ex-insiders after winding-down news Asia Cambodia-Thailand border clash a setback for Asean: Vivian Balakrishnan Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim Singapore Doctor hounded ex-girlfriend, threatened to share her intimate photos, abducted her off street Asia Trump's transactional foreign policy fuels 'US scepticism' in Taiwan Business Women on corporate boards give firms a competitive advantage, says Australian Governor-General Singapore CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading Another Gerbera drone entered Lithuania from Belarus on July 10, causing alarm before authorities determined it was not dangerous. Then-prime minister Gintautas Paluckas and Speaker of Parliament Saulius Skvernelis were briefly taken to bomb shelters in response to the drone entering Lithuanian airspace, according to their spokespersons. NATO was not immediately available for comment. REUTERS
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Lithuania asks NATO for more air defences after drones land on its territory
VILNIUS, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Lithuania's foreign ministry has written to the NATO military alliance asking it to strengthen its air defences, it said on Tuesday, after two military drones have crossed into its territory from Belarus in less than a month. "This must not be only Lithuania's responsibility, because we are defending the eastern NATO flank," Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told reporters. NATO and European Union member Lithuania borders Russia and Moscow's ally, Belarus. The letter from Lithuania's foreign and defence ministers to NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte said the alliance must show it is ready to defend "every centimetre of its territory". In the most recent incident, a drone crossed into Lithuania on July 28, which Lithuania suspects was directed by Russia at Ukraine, but that it was disoriented by Ukraine's defences, Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Tuesday. The drone was found crashed in a military training area about 100 kilometres (62.14 miles) from the border with Belarus and contained 2 kg (4 lb) of explosives, the chief of staff of the Lithuanian army, Dainius Paskevicius, told reporters. Sakaliene had earlier identified the object as a Gerbera drone, a wooden copy of an Iranian-designed Shahed kamikaze drone, which Russian military is known to use. Another Gerbera drone entered Lithuania from Belarus on July 10, causing alarm before authorities determined it was not dangerous. Then-prime minister Gintautas Paluckas and Speaker of Parliament Saulius Skvernelis were briefly taken to bomb shelters in response to the drone entering Lithuanian airspace, according to their spokespersons. NATO was not immediately available for comment.
