Lithuanian police have yet to identify or detain suspects following an attempted arson attack on a Vilnius facility reportedly used by US aerospace company SpaceX, as authorities investigate a possible security threat involving critical infrastructure, independent Lithuanian news agency BNS and public broadcaster LRT.lt reported on October 19.
The incident raises fresh concerns about the vulnerability of strategic infrastructure in Lithuania, a Nato member bordering Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus, amid growing fears of sabotage and hybrid operations targeting European countries.
The attempted attack took place overnight on October 18 at premises reportedly operated by data centre company Delska in the Lithuanian capital.
Police Commissioner General Arunas Paulauskas confirmed that the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau had launched an intensive pretrial investigation but had made no arrests.
“A pretrial investigation is currently underway, conducted by the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau. The investigation is being carried out quite intensively,” Paulauskas told reporters on October 19, BNS and LRT.lt reported.
Asked whether any suspects had been detained, the police chief replied: “Not yet.”
Paulauskas declined to disclose the suspects' possible nationalities or whether investigators were searching beyond Lithuania's borders.
In a separate incident, a drone crashed in Lithuania's northern Pasvalys district, damaging a civilian vehicle with falling debris. No injuries were reported.
Lithuania says it has evidence that the drone entered its airspace from Poland, contradicting reports in Polish media that the aircraft had been launched from Lithuanian territory.
Lithuanian authorities have not publicly established who operated the aircraft, where it was launched or what its intended destination may have been.
The incidents occurred amid heightened attention to Lithuanian airspace security, BNS and LRT.lt reported.
Lithuanian officials stressed that investigators had found no connection between the two incidents.
However, presidential national security adviser Deividas Matulionis suggested that Russia could have been involved in the attempted arson, although investigators have not established responsibility, BNS and LRT.lt reported.
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