(Adnkronos) – The Lithuanian Parliament has approved a series of amendments to facilitate the downing, by its armed forces, of foreign drones that violate its airspace. The amendments obtained the favorable vote of all the deputies present in the Chamber while several countries in the region have denounced the presence of Russian drones flying over their territory. The vote was expressed with a special emergency procedure based on the need to “immediately guarantee the vital interests of society and the State”, according to the national broadcaster Lrt.
The objective of these amendments, explained Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene, is to provide “a new legal mechanism to ensure that military force can be used quickly against drones in restricted areas if their flights violate orders established by the army high command”. The Lithuanian authorities also clarified that this legal basis offers greater flexibility to the armed forces and does not always imply a response with force, which is limited only to “cases of absolute military necessity, taking all possible precautions to avoid serious consequences”. Under the new regulations, civil aviation will not be able to fly in restricted areas without a special permit.
