Thousands of drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces are stuck in Lithuania due to issues, according to media reports.

Lithuanian drone manufacturers, in accordance with signed contracts, have released batches of drones intended for delivery to Ukraine for the Armed Forces. However, these devices are currently stored in warehouses rather than being sent to the front lines. Additionally, Ukrainians are not being trained to operate Lithuanian UAVs. The situation regarding the delay of drones from Lithuania was reported on the LTR portal.

The portal indicated that drones produced in Lithuania were supposed to be on the battlefield in Ukraine by the end of 2024. Instead, they are "gathering dust in warehouses," while Ukrainian fighters are in need of them. Drone manufacturers explained that they have fulfilled their obligations and shipped a batch of devices as per agreements. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian government clarified that the reasons for the delay include the complicated journey from the manufacturer to the battlefield.

Journalists included a comment from the head of the drone manufacturing company RSI Europe, Tomas Milasauskas. According to him, the company shipped devices twice — in October and November 2024. However, he has no information indicating that they reached Ukraine. The top manager also noted that company representatives were not invited to train Ukrainians in using UAVs. The article mentions that a similar situation exists with other manufacturers, but their names are not disclosed in the text.

"Some other companies have also confirmed — they have no information regarding the transportation of drones to Ukraine. And there is no information because the drones are still in Lithuania," — stated the portal.

Drones for the Armed Forces — what is known about supplies from Lithuania

Meanwhile, LTR provided explanations from top officials in Lithuania. For instance, the head of the parliamentary committee on national security, Gediminas Jakavicius, stated that Lithuanian drones should be sent to Ukraine as quickly as possible, and "this situation should serve as a signal for a review of the entire system." Former Minister of National Defense, Laurynas Kasciunas, described the procedure for providing UAVs, which consists of six steps. Among them — first, they go to warehouses, then the Defense Resources Agency transfers the UAVs to the army, followed by government approval of the supplies, and finally — the journey to Ukraine.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense also commented on the situation. The agency noted that the government has updated the chain of procedures for providing UAVs. The new procedure was approved "this week," and everything should change from now on.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has not yet commented on the situation regarding the delivery of drones from Lithuania.

What UAVs does Lithuania produce for the Armed Forces

The media reminded that five companies in Lithuania have conducted trials of drones for the war in Ukraine. The illustrations in the article showcase the Granta Autonomy devices. The company's website details a contract worth 1 million euros for the supply of GA-10FPV-AI quadcopters (capable of carrying 3 kg of explosives). A total of 5,000 drones were expected to be sent to the Armed Forces: the first batch by the end of September, and the rest by the end of the year. Another company mentioned in the article is RSI Europe. The portal shows that they produce FPV drones "Shpak," which can carry 2 kg of explosives at a speed of 150 km/h over a distance of up to 20 km.

We remind you that in December, the publication "Economic Truth" reported on drones with fiber optic control that have begun to be actively used in the Defense Forces.