Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of a cargo plane crash in Vilnius, which left one person dead. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Center, stated that preliminary findings indicate the crash was likely the result of a technical malfunction.
Speaking on the matter, Lithuanian National Defense Committee Chair Laurynas Kasčiūnas noted that visual analysis suggests the aircraft was not impacted externally during its descent. Survivor testimonies also did not reveal any irregularities aboard the plane prior to the crash. Kasčiūnas cautioned against prematurely connecting the incident to hostile activity, emphasizing the need for accurate and verified evidence.
“If attribution points to a hostile nation, it must be precise, detailed, and fully corroborated,” Kasčiūnas said, adding that while nothing can yet be ruled out, he has no additional information on the matter at this time.
However, Lithuania’s Commissioner General of Police, Arūnas Paulauskas, acknowledged that terrorism remains a possibility. Similarly, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock suggested the crash might have been a case of sabotage.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Europe, following the recent sabotage of telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea. These tensions have prompted a thorough investigation into the aircraft’s crash.
To aid the probe, the black boxes from the downed plane will be sent to Germany for analysis, as Lithuania lacks the laboratory facilities required to decode the data. Investigators hope the information recovered from the flight recorders will shed light on what caused the tragedy.
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