Lithuanian intelligence believes that Russia may use downed Ukrainian drones for provocative operations in the Baltic region, Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
The leaders of Poland and the three Baltic states - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - have warned that Moscow may be planning attacks or sabotage against them in order to divert attention from the war in Ukraine and weaken international support for Kiev.
"We are talking about a possible false-flag operation with a drone supposedly belonging to Ukraine. One of the goals is to make NATO hesitate and reduce its support for Ukraine. But I can assure you that this will not happen," Kaunas said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said last month that intelligence indicated Russia was preparing possible attacks on critical infrastructure in the country. As a result, authorities have stepped up security measures around energy and transport facilities.
The Kremlin has rejected these allegations. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov described them as "another batch of scary stories" that, in his opinion, are aimed at preparing the population for further militarization against Moscow.
Poland and the Baltic states, which are NATO members and border Russia, are among the most active supporters of Ukraine. They accuse Moscow of attempts at political and informational pressure aimed at intimidating the region.
In recent months, several Ukrainian military drones used to attack Russian targets have entered the airspace of Finland and the Baltic states. According to Kiev, this is due to Russian electronic warfare systems that disrupt the operation of the drones.
Russia, in turn, accuses the Baltic states of being able to provide Ukraine with their airspace as a starting point for attacks on Russian facilities. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine reject these accusations.