Lithuania faces the risk of “very serious provocations” following Russian allegations that the Baltic state provided airspace for Ukrainian drone strikes, a top presidential aide said on Tuesday.
"This is nonsense, and in such an environment, very serious provocations against us are possible," Deividas Matulionis told Žinių Radijas, dismissing the accusations as absurd.
While declining to provide specific details, he emphasised that the threat extends beyond Russian public propaganda to include the country’s special services.
"I would not like to go into detail as this is not public information, but the situation escalated quite seriously. In our assessment, it was not just a matter of Russian propaganda. Everything came from much deeper, meaning from relevant Russian structures," Matulionis said.
The official’s remarks followed a warning from President Gitanas Nausėda to "warring parties in Europe" not to use Lithuanian territory for drone strikes. Matulionis clarified that the message was primarily addressed to Russia, noting its increasing escalation of the issue.
He added that Lithuania seeks to clearly emphasise that it defends its sovereignty and is not directly involved in hostilities, despite providing support to Ukraine.
Russia has recently accused the Baltic states of allowing Ukrainian drones to use their airspace for attacks on Russian infrastructure. Lithuanian and NATO officials maintain that any drones entering the region likely drifted off course due to Russian electronic warfare measures.
Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas has confirmed that non-public information exists regarding potential Russian actions.
"We cannot disclose everything. In this case, such public information is not available. [...] Non-public information is intended for analysis and decision-making," the head of parliament told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.
The speaker also did not rule out the possibility that Russia could simulate Ukrainian drone flights into Lithuanian territory or divert drones from their flight paths.
"We know and are discussing with the Ukrainians that the Russians may be able to divert one or two drones from a swarm towards us. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that they might simply try to simulate and launch their own [drones]. All kinds of provocations are possible; we must be prepared for them and not panic," Olekas said.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
