Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia are strengthening security measures near critical infrastructure due to the possibility of Russia staging an attack against them under a foreign flag using Ukrainian drones.
Reuters writes about this.
Lithuania said last week that Putin was considering such an attack, and Poland, Latvia and Estonia have also warned of possible acts of sabotage aimed at testing NATOʼs response. Lithuanian National Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas told reporters that they were preparing, analyzing data and "doing their job".
Lithuaniaʼs Minister of National Defense, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, and four representatives of the regionʼs intelligence services told Reuters that they were strengthening the security of critical infrastructure and were constantly exchanging information with intelligence services regarding further actions.
Latvia has strengthened the protection of all critical infrastructure facilities, including the dam on the Daugava River near Riga and the underground gas storage facility in Inchukalns.
A Baltic intelligence official said that Russian military and domestic intelligence services are planning a foreign-flag operation against infrastructure in Russia or the Baltic states and Poland. The attack could use Ukrainian-made drones and could be carried out within days of approval from Russian leadership.
Another source said that warnings from allied intelligence about Russian activity had a "staggering impact" on the Baltic states, but attacks could happen "anytime, anywhere".
Latest warnings about Russian provocations
In late June, NATO received intelligence that Russia was preparing provocations against the Baltic states and Poland. Western sources assessed that the risk of provocations had increased after Ukrainian strikes on targets in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Telegraph, citing intelligence, NATO and government sources, reported that the US has warned Poland that Russia is planning an armed provocation on its territory to test NATOʼs resolve. In particular, the Russians could attack Polish critical infrastructure with missiles or cross the border into the territory of one of the Alliance countries.
On July 20, Kaunas issued a warning. According to him, because Russia has not yet achieved victory in the war against Ukraine, Putin is preparing a new escalation — probably against the Baltic region or against Poland.
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