Lithuania will step up security around critical infrastructure sites following an attempted arson at a Starlink ground station near Vilnius and a drone enters the country's airspace. The decision was made at a meeting of government and security service representatives, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius announced.
“We agreed to increase the level of preparedness around critical infrastructure sites that are important to the country. We will devote more forces and attention to these sites“, Sinkevičius said.
Starlink arson attempt
The incident near Vilnius occurred at around 2 a.m. on Sunday. The attackers attempted to set fire to antennas and related infrastructure used to provide Starlink satellite connectivity. The fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived, and the damage was limited. The system was not disrupted.
According to Reuters, Lithuanian authorities are treating the incident as a Russia-related act of sabotage and are placing it in the context of growing concerns that the war in Ukraine could spill over into NATO's northeastern flank. Four suspects have been detained. Moscow rejects such accusations as unfounded.
Lithuanian police have launched a criminal investigation into damage to property in a way that endangers public security. According to the National Crisis Management Center, the facility is part of a wider network that provides connectivity to citizens, companies and military structures.
The drone and the air alert
On Sunday, a drone entered Lithuanian airspace, causing an air alert in Panevezys and Šiauliai counties. Its remains were found near the village of Juojonis in the Pasvalis region. Falling debris damaged the door of a civilian car, but no one was injured.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces believe that the drone probably entered from Poland. Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said that preliminary data indicated a Ukrainian drone used in an attack on St. Petersburg and diverted from its course due to Russian electronic warfare equipment. Ukraine expressed regret for the incident and stated its readiness to assist in clarifying the circumstances.
The drone incident and the attempted arson of the Starlink facility are considered part of the same broader picture of hybrid threats. The National Security Committee is also discussing expanding the powers of the services to neutralize drones.
Sources: streetinsider.com, internazionale.it, elta.lt