Lithuania deploys Ukrainian-made SkyFortress drone detection system on NATO's eastern flank

Lithuania has deployed the Ukrainian-developed SkyFortress drone detection and tracking system along its border with Belarus and near the strategically critical Suwalki Gap, becoming the first NATO member state to field the technology outside Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defence Ministry announced Friday.

SkyFortress, developed by Ukrainian defence technology firm Ukrspecsystems, uses a network of passive radio frequency sensors and radar units to detect and classify unmanned aerial vehicles at ranges up to 30 kilometres. The system was refined through battlefield experience in Ukraine and has been credited with aiding detection of Russian Shahed kamikaze drones and reconnaissance UAVs.

Lithuanian Defence Minister said the deployment reflects both solidarity with Ukraine and practical security needs, noting that drone incursions into Baltic airspace have increased significantly over the past year.

The Suwalki Gap, a narrow land corridor connecting Poland with Lithuania between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Belarus, is considered one of NATO's most vulnerable strategic points. Protecting it from drone reconnaissance and potential attack has become a priority for alliance planners.

Latvia and Estonia are reportedly in discussions to procure the same system, which could create a continuous drone detection network across all three Baltic states.