Robertas Kaunas, Lithuania’s defence minister, declined Wednesday to comment on Ukrainian claims that Russia deliberately diverted drones toward the Baltic states and Finland to heighten regional tensions.
“You should ask Ukraine about this; I will not comment on intelligence data […] neither ours nor Ukraine’s. These are public interpretations, but as I said, I will not comment on intelligence,” Kaunas said.
Last week, several drones flew over and exploded in the Baltic states. Officials suspect the drones were Ukrainian, intended for targets in Russia but veered off course. On Sunday, Finland reported that two stray drones crashed in the southeast of the country, with one confirmed as Ukrainian.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday he had confirmation that the incidents were deliberate and orchestrated by Moscow, suggesting Russia may be attempting to create friction between Ukraine and its European allies.
On Monday, the Lithuanian president’s office said Kyiv had expressed regret over the incidents. Baltic state officials emphasised that such events are a direct result of Russia’s war of aggression.
‘Stop listening to gossip’
Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, asked to comment on Sybiha’s statements, reiterated that the drone that crashed in Lithuania was Ukrainian and that it was an unintentional incident.
“The war is much closer than we can imagine and that is why these incidents can happen,” said Ruginienė Wednesday.
“Let’s stop listening to gossip. Let’s hear what the [intelligence] services are saying – and our services have spoken very clearly about that incident. The drone fell in an unintentional incident and that is the true information,” she said.
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