Lithuania opens drone school just 20 km from Kaliningrad
Photo: Lithuania opens drone school near the Russian border (Getty Images)
At the border with Russia, children as young as 10 and adults are being taught to fly, assemble, and program drones, Reuters reports.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has opened the first of nine planned schools dedicated to drone training. Classes are available for children from the age of 10 and for adults. Students learn to fly, build, and program drones.
"It's all about building military defensive capabilities, which Lithuania is taking very seriously, living in the neighbourhood with Russia and Belarus", said Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas.
From simulators to practice
Lessons cover FPV drones, quadcopters, and fixed-wing models. According to instructor Mindaugas Tamosaitis, children first practice in virtual simulators before moving on to real-life training.
In Tauragė, just 20 km from Russia’s Kaliningrad, students are already testing mini-drones on a training field. Under the guidance of instructors, they launch the devices up and down, sometimes with crash landings.
Security factor and NATO
As a NATO member, Lithuania has repeatedly urged allies to strengthen air defense. The push came after incidents this summer when two Russian drones launched from Belarus crossed the border and crashed.
Last Friday, NATO announced plans to reinforce the defense of Europe’s eastern flank. The decision came just two days after Poland shot down drones that violated its airspace - the first such response by a NATO member during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Lithuania has warned that incidents involving Russian drones crossing into NATO territory could turn into an escalation. They believe that this will lead to the mutual use of military power.
Following this, the EU announced plans to build a "drone wall" along its eastern flank.
Earlier, Lithuania had also strengthened border security with Belarus amid joint Russian-Belarusian military drills Zapad-2025.
