Lithuania warns Russia false flag drone attack on Baltics

Lithuanian officials have warned that Russia is considering staging a false flag attack on critical infrastructure in the Baltic region using Ukrainian-made drones, a move they say is intended to test NATO's resolve and undermine Western support for Ukraine. Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stated on August 6 that intelligence indicates Moscow is planning unconventional kinetic attacks, potentially employing captured or reconstructed Ukrainian drones to create the appearance of an attack originating from Ukraine.

The warning follows a series of escalating incidents along NATO's eastern flank. In recent months, Ukrainian long-range drones targeting Russian infrastructure have repeatedly strayed into the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, likely due to Russian GPS jamming. Meanwhile, security officials report that Russia has itself conducted drone flights to test NATO responses, including an incident in September 2025 when over 20 unarmed drones entered Polish airspace.

Minister Kaunas emphasized that the goal of any Russian provocation would be to escalate tensions within the Western alliance and force member states to reconsider military aid to Kyiv. He...