EUROPE / FOREIGN DRONE EVENTS

Recovery · Lithuania

Old drone found in forest at Keneliai, Pasvalys district, Lithuania

· Keneliai — Pasvalys district forest

Drone recovery; foreign origin unproven; later smuggling-investigation link

On 16 September 2026 a drone that appeared to have been lying in vegetation for months was found in a forest at Keneliai village, in Lithuania’s Pasvalys district, and reported to police. The date is that of the discovery and report, not evidence of a flight that day.

Initial speculation that it was a foreign military drone was not confirmed by the later police account. The drone was not identified as a Russian or Ukrainian strike drone, and police later associated it with a smuggling investigation. Its foreign origin has not been publicly established, and how it reached the forest is not known.

ARAS and the military responded to the possible explosive risk. In an update on 17 September, police said no explosives had been found.

Show on the interactive map →

Image from the Lrytas report: Police update on the drone found in a Pasvalys district forest
Image · Lrytas · Open report ↗
Image from the Lrytas report: Fallen drone discovered in Pasvalys district
Image · Lrytas · Open report ↗

Attribution and uncertainty

Origin / operator / attribution
Police later associated it with a smuggling investigation; foreign origin not publicly established.
Investigation / uncertainty
Initial speculation about a foreign military drone was not confirmed by the later police account.

Sources · 2

  1. Lrytas ↗Police update on the drone found in a Pasvalys district forest2026-09-17
  2. Lrytas ↗Fallen drone discovered in Pasvalys district2026-09-16

Full record

Recovery

Representative Pasvalys district anchor; the Keneliai forest discovery site has not been geocoded.

Map positions are approximate anchors for the named place, not verified incident coordinates.

Reported date
2026-09-16 (13:06 report)
Record type
discovery_recovery
End date / linked stage
2026-09-16
Date basis
Discovery/report 16 September, police follow-up 17 September; not evidence of a flight that day.
Location / jurisdiction
Keneliai village forest, Pasvalys district; Lithuanian territory
Event categories
Civilian/forest discovery; old wreckage; bomb-squad check; police correction
What was reported
A drone apparently lying in vegetation for months was reported to police.
Aircraft / vessel / quantity
One old/overgrown drone; not identified as a Russian or Ukrainian strike UAV
Origin / operator / attribution
Police later associated it with a smuggling investigation; foreign origin not publicly established.
Damage / casualties / disruption
Not reported in cited account.
Response / outcome
ARAS/military explosive-risk response; police said no explosives and updated the investigation on 17 September.
Investigation / uncertainty
Initial speculation about a foreign military drone was not confirmed by the later police account.
Route / entry mechanism
Not established in cited account.
Explosive payload
No explosives found, according to follow-up.
Counting / links
No matching baseline event. 16 September Keneliai/Pasvalys find is not May Utena E019 or September Pratkūnai E058. Merge the 17 September police correction into this recovery.
Research provenance
New finding; local reporting of official response; attribution limited to cited account.

Record N052. Record fields keep the register’s original wording.