VILNIUS, Aug 6 (Reuters) – Lithuanian intelligence officials believe Russia is considering using captured Ukrainian-made drones to stage provocations against the Baltic region, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Thursday.
Leaders of Poland and the three Baltic states have warned that Russia is considering an attack or sabotage against their countries as a way to shift the focus of the Ukraine war and reduce support for Kyiv.
“We are talking about a false flag operation, using a false Ukrainian drone … One of the goals is for NATO to waver and decrease support to Ukraine. I can assure this will not happen,” Kaunas said.
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda said in July that intelligence indicated that Russia was planning attacks on infrastructure, and that security around energy and transport sites was tightened as a precaution.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the time said these were “scare stories” to justify militarisation against Russia.
Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which are all members of the NATO military alliance on the border with Russia, are staunch supporters of Kyiv and accuse Moscow of using escalatory language to intimidate them.
Military drones flying from Ukraine to attack targets in Russia have already strayed into the airspace of Finland and the Baltics in recent months, which Kyiv says was caused by Russia using electronic defences that jam or spoof signals.
Russia has suggested the Baltic states are colluding to let Ukraine use their airspace to stage attacks on Russian targets. The Baltic states and Ukraine deny this.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas; Writing by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Louise Rasmussen and Alison Williams)
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