Lithuania approves use of special ammunition to combat unmanned aerial threats

The Lithuanian government has authorized law enforcement officers to use special ammunition and projectiles to neutralize drones, weather balloons, and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as well as autonomously or remotely piloted objects.

Under the new measures, officers can deploy these tools against airborne, land-based, waterborne, or underwater objects. They are also permitted to use drones, vehicles, demining robots, and similar devices to launch special ammunition and projectiles.

Special ammunition, as defined by the legislation, includes projectiles fired from firearms or propelled by devices containing substances like gas or paint, designed to impact a target.

The law also allows officers to forcibly stop vehicles posing an imminent risk to life, health, or property using such measures.

Tackling Cross-Border Smuggling

The legislative update follows an amendment passed in November enabling officers to counter aerial objects, prompted by an uptick in incidents involving contraband weather balloons landing in Lithuania.

Since August, smugglers have increasingly used weather balloons to transport illegal cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania. These balloons, equipped with GPS devices, carry cargo across the border, where smugglers later retrieve them.

From Tuesday night to Wednesday morning alone, Lithuanian border guards intercepted nine weather balloons carrying contraband cigarettes from Belarus. This marks the first such incident in 2024, with a total of 226 cases recorded last year, including 56 in December.

The Interior Ministry initiated these changes to address this evolving smuggling tactic, ensuring law enforcement has the necessary tools to counter such threats effectively.