Lithuania and Estonia have not received funding from the European Union to build a so-called drone wall on their borders.
This was reported by the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT.
Estonian and Lithuanian border guards submitted a joint application for a project to build a drone wall along the border, but the EU did not allocate any money for it. Estonia was the main applicant, and Lithuania was a co-applicant.
Last May, then-Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite announced that the Baltic states had agreed to develop a so-called drone wall, which would monitor the border and deploy systems to combat enemy drones.
What preceded
Following Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are trying to counter potential military threats from the Russian Federation and Belarus.
Lithuania last year approved a program to strengthen and develop civil defense. It includes the creation of new shelters, a warning system, a special mobile application and funding of €285 million. The country also began building a military base where German soldiers will be stationed.
In January 2024, the Estonian Ministry of Defense announced that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania would create a joint defense line on the border with Russia to “deter and, if necessary, defend against a military threat”. They requested €2.5 billion in EU funding for this.
The Vice Chancellor of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs said that in early 2024, the Estonian authorities approved a four- and ten-year civil protection action plan. According to her, the Baltic countries should prepare for the "worst-case scenario" and, in the event of war, warn the population via SMS messages and other notification channels.
- The Baltic countries are now afraid of a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, because it would increase the threat from Russia.
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