Lithuanian State Security Department presented their threats‘ assessment reports for the public and warned that Russia may try to use its hybrid warfare to test the NATO member while Russian agencies take an increased interest in Lithuanian military and other strategic infrastructure. Consul General to Klaipeda City Vladimir Malygin was even sent out of the country because of activities related to espionage.
Lithuanian State Security Department presented their threats‘ assessment reports for the public and warned that Russia may try to use its hybrid warfare to test the NATO member while Russian agencies take an increased interest in Lithuanian military and other strategic infrastructure. Consul General to Klaipeda City Vladimir Malygin was even sent out of the country because of activities related to espionage.
Two Lithuanian agencies presented their public reports – Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of Defence and State Security Department.
Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of Defence stated the probability of conventional war in the Baltic Sea region remains low. However, the region may be potentially affected by Russia's hybrid strategy, which envisages the use of unconventional and hidden military measures.
The Department has also stressed that Russia's combat readiness checks revealed its capacity to quickly move major additional capacities to Kaliningrad region. These checks are very dangerous for neighbouring countries, such as Lithuania, because they lack opportunities to evaluate the size and aim of Russian manoeuvres.
The second agency that jointly presented its report with Lithuanian State Security Department warned that Russian agencies last year took an increased interest in Lithuanian military and other strategic infrastructure with more frequent attempts to recruit Lithuanian citizens traveling to Russia.
A third of Russian diplomats working in Lithuania are the officers of intelligence services or are linked to intelligence services, according to the State Security Department.
The report says that three employees of Russian intelligence residencies were sent out of for active spying activities and a few more Russian spies working under diplomatic disguise were forced to leave Lithuania before the end of their accreditation.
Among them was Russia’s Consul General to Klaipeda Vladimir Malygin, identified as a member of Russian Foreign Intelligence Service and sent out last April, because he aimed to collect non-public information about energy projects.
After being appointed to the port city of Klaipeda in September of 2012, Malygin spent less than two years as Russia's Consul General. Last April, officials of the Russian consulate said he was returning to Moscow after expiration of his term.
SHOTLIST
Start of the presser
Soundbite (Lithuanian)
JUOZAS OLEKAS, Minister of Defence:
(on Russia hybrid war strategy) Russia might choose to adopt such measures in order to test one member of the Alliance.
Soundbite (Lithuanian)
ALVYDAS ŠIUPARIS, Chief of Second Investigation Department under the Ministry of Defence:
(on Russian drills) All these combat readiness tests have a negative impact on neighbouring countries’ security, because those allow Russia to suddenly reallocate huge number of troops and limits opportunities of neighbouring countries to evaluate the size of reallocation and its aims.
Soundbite (Lithuanian)
ARTŪRAS PAULAUSKAS, Chairman of the Parliamentary National Security Committee:
People used to ask if those people are really so active and why there are no trials. Well, today we see a situation when we do have some persons in court facing allegations for espionage against Lithuania.
Soundbite (Lithuanian)
GEDIMINAS GRINA, Chief of State Security Department:
(on Russian spies among Russian diplomats) Yes, the tendency is alarming, if we take into account last year and the year before. We had to ask to leave a relatively significant number of envoys, on the level of Foreign Ministry.
Shots of Russian Consulate in Klaipeda
