Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Russia is directing Ukrainian drones to the Baltic countries

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister stated that Russia is directing Ukrainian drones to the Baltic countries, increasing tensions in the region.

Scraper SystemMay 30, 2026, 02:53 PM

Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Russia is directing Ukrainian drones to the Baltic countries

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated that Russia is deliberately directing drones belonging to Ukraine to the Baltic countries and aims to spread false claims that the Baltic countries are involved in attacks against Russia. Budrys expressed that several drones have recently fallen in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, but no serious damage or loss of life has occurred. Due to these developments, an air alert was issued in eastern Lithuania. Budrys emphasized that these events are a direct result of Russia's war against Ukraine and Belarus's involvement in this war. The Latvian Armed Forces announced that they detected at least one drone in their country's airspace and that NATO fighter jets took measures against the threat. Since May, at least four drones have entered the airspace of Latvia and Estonia. These incidents led to political crises in Latvia; developments such as the resignation of the defense minister and the collapse of the government occurred. Russia's foreign intelligence service claimed that Ukraine planned attacks on Russia from Latvian territory, but Riga and Kiev denied these claims. The Ukrainian side stated that the drones entered the Baltic countries due to Russia's radio-electronic warfare systems. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the drones were not deliberately sent to the Baltic countries by Ukraine, and that this is a result of Russia's illegal attack launched in 2022.