Lithuania Warns of Russian False-Flag Drone Plot

Lithuanian military intelligence believes Russia is considering using captured Ukrainian drones to stage provocations against the Baltic states, Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said.

According to Kaunas, such an operation could be a false-flag attempt aimed at weakening NATO's support for Ukraine. “One of the goals is to make NATO hesitate and reduce its support for Ukraine. I can assure you that this will not happen”, he said.

Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have previously warned that Moscow may be preparing attacks or acts of sabotage on their territories to divert attention from the war in Ukraine. In July, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said intelligence services had detected indications of planned attacks on critical infrastructure, prompting the country to tighten security around energy and transport facilities. The Kremlin dismissed the allegations as “scaremongering” intended to justify militarization directed against Russia.

In recent months, drones flying from Ukraine toward targets in Russia have strayed into the airspace of Finland and the Baltic states on several occasions. Kyiv says Russian electronic warfare has interfered with their navigation systems. Moscow, meanwhile, accuses the Baltic states of allowing Ukrainian attacks to pass through their airspace, an allegation denied by both Lithuania and Ukraine.

(Reuters, bak)