Russia Warns Baltic States on Ukrainian Drone Overflights

Russia has issued warnings to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, cautioning them against allowing Ukrainian drones to use their airspace for attacks on Russian territory, following recent Ukrainian strikes on Moscow's Baltic Sea oil ports. The statements, made on April 6 by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, came amid intensified Ukrainian drone operations targeting export facilities in Primorsk and Ust-Luga, which have disrupted Russia's oil shipments and reduced capacity at the ports by about a quarter.

Zakharova told reporters that the Baltic countries had received an "appropriate warning" and would face consequences if they permitted such overflights. "If the regimes of these countries have enough sense, they will listen. If not, they will have to deal with a response," she said, according to reports from the scene in Moscow. The remarks followed incidents in late March and early April where Ukrainian drones strayed into Baltic airspace during operations against Russian targets, including explosions near Ust-Luga on April 7 that local officials said involved 22 drones, most of which were downed.

Baltic military and government officials...