An unidentified object, suspected to be a drone, exploded overnight near Lavys village in Lithuania’s Varėna district, approximately 23 kilometers from the Belarus border. Lithuanian Armed Forces reported it likely crossed into national airspace before crashing into a lake at 03:04 local time on March 23, 2026, prompting activation of the “Skydas” protocol for potential explosives.
Deputy Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed no public safety threat, with police, fire services, and military securing the site. Major Gintautas Ciunis detailed recovered debris including an internal-combustion engine, metal fragments, and plastic parts; a hole in the lake ice aligns with an explosion. No explosives found yet, but unstable ice delays full recovery into March 24.
The object evaded main radars and border guard detection, consistent with Gerbera drones’ low radar signature from plywood, foam, and plastic construction. Gerberas mimic Shahed munitions as decoys to saturate defenses, powered by Chinese Skywalker engines, with cruise speeds of 97-150 km/h, ranges up to 600 km, and payloads of 3-5 kg in armed variants.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė scheduled a National Security Commission meeting for 10:00 on March 24. This follows Gerbera incursions in July-August 2025 over Vilnius with explosives, a Latvian find in September 2025, Su-30/Il-78 violations in October 2025, and Belarus balloon disruptions causing €750,000 losses.