State Security Department (VSD) Director Remigijus Bridikis said on Wednesday that Lithuania’s security situation is becoming increasingly tense following recent drone incursions into Baltic airspace.
“The security situation is sharpening [...], the war is happening near us, and it is even happening here if we talk about information operations, sabotage and assassination attempts,” Bridikis told reporters.
The intelligence chief noted a trend suggesting further escalation and stressed the necessity of being prepared.
His remarks came ahead of a National Security Commission meeting at the government. Officials convened after an air alert was declared in parts of Lithuania on Wednesday due to a detected drone.
The drone crossed the border at approximately 09:40 local time, and radar contact was lost near Merkine around 11:00. Its exact location remains unknown. According to the military, Minsk informed Vilnius about the drone, which entered Lithuania from Latvia.
Latvia and Estonia have faced similar incidents. Baltic and NATO officials state that Ukrainian drones enter regional airspace after being diverted from their courses by Russian electronic warfare measures.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service claimed on Tuesday that Ukraine is preparing strikes against Russia from Baltic territory and that Ukrainian troops are already deployed in Latvia.
Bridikis predicted that Russian information attacks and pressure would become more aggressive and adapted to various scenarios.
“They need tension in our minds and in our decision-making processes. They took the opportunity to target us. [...] At this moment, I believe this is definitely more focused on an information attack,” Bridikis said.
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