Drones Over Vilnius: Why Lithuanians Are Packing Emergency Go-Bags
When a drone crossed into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus last week and was shot down, it did more than stir geopolitical tensions. For many residents, it was a wake-up call about their own preparedness. Sales of emergency go-bags have surged across the country as ordinary people, like Vilnius resident Marija, decide they can no longer put off planning for the unthinkable.
Marija told LRT.lt she had long thought about assembling a go-bag but never acted. The drone incident changed that. “I had been thinking about packing a bag for a long time, and the latest incident with the downed drone made me think about how prepared my family really is,” she said. “In reality, we are almost completely unprepared.” Her bag now holds medicine, water, canned food, a first-aid kit, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, spare batteries, a thermal blanket, and a raincoat.
Why are emergency go-bag sales rising in Lithuania?
The spike in demand follows a series of drone incursions and other high-profile security events. The most recent incident occurred overnight last Monday into Tuesday, when a drone entered from Belarus. Residents in Vilnius, Trakai, Elektrėnai, and the Kaunas region received military alerts advising them to identify a safe place. The drone was later shot down. President Gitanas Nausėda said it was likely a Russian-made Gerbera drone intended for Ukraine that had deviated from its course.
Manvydas Poškus, head of the go-bag retailer 72h.lt, said sales can multiply several times after such events. “We especially feel this after high-profile events, including those of recent days. Sales really increase sometimes by several times or even dozens of times,” he told LRT.lt. His preassembled bags cost between 159 and 199 euros, while a family package sells for 249 euros. Family-sized kits have drawn particularly strong interest.
Poškus stressed that a ready-made bag is a starting point, not a complete solution. “Our goal is that people don't have to think from scratch about dozens of different categories of items,” he said. “The essentials are already prepared, and the rest can easily be adapted to each family.”
Another retailer, Militar.lt, reported that sales tripled after an earlier drone incident before settling back down, only to rise again after the latest event. Representative Mantas Niuniavas said companies are also buying go-bags in bulk for their employees. Militar.lt bags range from 155 to 205 euros, with the pricier version including a long-lasting dry food ration as the most popular option.
What should go into a 72-hour emergency go-bag?
Dovydas Petrauskas, director of the retailer Pasirengęs, sees the trend as a positive shift. “In our assessment, this is a positive trend, showing that the go-bag is increasingly less of an impulsive or emotional purchase prompted by a specific incident,” he told LRT.lt. His kits cost between 189 and 279 euros.
But buying a bag is not enough, Petrauskas warned. People need to know what is inside, where each item is, and how to use it, because an emergency may demand quick action. He recommends adding personal items like clothing, extra food and water, documents, regular medicines, cash, and other necessities.
A go-bag does not have to be store-bought. It can be assembled at home using items already on hand. The bag should be kept somewhere easily accessible and checked at least twice a year. Expired food should be replaced, electronics tested, and clothing updated for the season. The rule of thumb is to be prepared to manage on your own for up to 72 hours if essential services like electricity and water are disrupted. Even those planning to stay home during a crisis should keep a bag ready in case evacuation becomes necessary.
Essential items for a go-bag
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Essential documents (ID, driver's license, birth and marriage certificates, insurance, property papers)
- Photos of family members in case you need to search for them
- Battery-powered radio
- Eyeglasses, hearing aids, and other personal aids
- Three days of food and water in small containers
- Can opener
- First aid kit, medication, hydrogen peroxide
- Baby formula, diapers, wet wipes
- Toys or books for children
- Comfortable shoes, waterproof jacket, warm sweater and trousers
- Toiletries: towel, soap, toothbrush, toilet paper
- Warm blanket or sleeping bag
- Dust mask
- Matches in a waterproof box
- Paper and pencil
- Cash and valuables, distributed and hidden
- Cigarettes, useful for bartering
How does this connect to Ireland's own preparedness?
For Irish readers, the Lithuanian experience carries a quiet lesson. We are not facing drones over Dublin, but the principle holds: emergencies do not announce themselves. Whether it is a severe storm, a power outage, or something more serious, having a bag ready is a small act of self-reliance. The Lithuanian example shows that ordinary people, not just governments, are taking responsibility for their own safety. It is a grounded, practical response to an uncertain world, and one worth considering on this side of the sea.