Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that Russian military forces are intentionally altering the course of Ukrainian drones using electronic warfare means, directing them towards the Baltic countries. According to Budrys, these actions are accompanied by an information campaign aimed at accusing the Baltic countries of involvement in attacks on Russian territory.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Increase in drone incidents in the Baltics
In May, several drones were reported to have fallen in Lithuania, as well as in Estonia and Latvia. Although these incidents did not result in significant damage, they led to the declaration of an air alert in eastern Lithuania on May 20. Minister Budrys emphasized that such events are a direct consequence of the Russo-Ukrainian war, as well as Belarus’s involvement on the side of Russia.
The Latvian armed forces reported on May 21 the presence of at least one drone in their airspace, after which NATO fighters were deployed to respond.
Political crisis and response from the Baltic countries
Since the beginning of May, at least four drones have entered the airspace of Latvia and Estonia. One of the incidents triggered a political crisis in Latvia: following criticism from Prime Minister Evika Siliņa, Defense Minister Andris Sprūds resigned, and later Siliņa herself left the government.
On May 19, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service accused Ukraine of preparing strikes against Russia from Latvian territory. At the same time, these statements were dismissed as false in Riga and Kyiv, emphasizing that the intrusion of drones into the Baltic countries occurs due to the interference of Russian electronic warfare systems.
“We are observing deliberate attempts to direct drones to the Baltic countries, and then spread propaganda messages and false accusations that the Baltic countries are involved in attacks on targets in Russia,” Lithuanian broadcaster quoted Budrys as saying.
Previously, Moscow had accused the Baltic countries of allegedly allowing Ukrainian drones to fly over their territory to attack Russia. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that drones find themselves in the Baltic territory not at Ukraine’s initiative, but due to Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, which created new risks for the region.