Mindaugas Aušra, an LRT Investigation Team, on November 18 said that the Chinese drones used by the Lithuanian intelligence services, the military, the police, and the State Border Guard Service are suspected of leaking information. It said they use hundreds of drones branded with the DJI logo. It said the LRT Investigation Team disclosed it has analysed public procurement contracts dating back to 2018, and found that at least 50 contracts have been signed for the purchase of 150 Chinese-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Last year, the Lithuanian Army’s Grand Duke Gediminas Battalion purchased DJI drones for almost 3,000 euros. Since 2018, at least six other national defence institutions in Lithuania have acquired Chinese-made UAVs. It quoted Margiris Abukevičius, Lithuanian Deputy Defence Minister, as saying that “the Lithuanian Armed Forces have acquired such drones, mostly in 2017-2019” and that "We are certainly talking to our allies about threats posed by Chinese technology, and we have information about these drones.” This year, Litgrid, which manages Lithuania’s electricity transmission networks, has purchased DJI equipment for almost 30,000 euros. The LRT said reports about Chinese-made UAVs, capable of collecting important information, posing issues for Western militaries started appearing a few years ago. It quoted Domantas Bručas, a researcher in aeronautics, as arguing that neither the VSAT, nor the military should use DJI drones. He said “There is no doubt that this equipment raises security concerns because the data can be leaked, the main problem is that drones collect their flight positions, routes, and camera records. Using these drones in the military and at the border could be quite dangerous.”
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