Lithuanian DefMin warns of increased hybrid attack risk

VILNIUS - Russia's failure to achieve its military objectives in Ukraine is increasing the risk of hybrid attacks on NATO's eastern flank, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on Monday.

"Russia is not succeeding in Ukraine as planned. Naturally, questions are starting to arise within Russian society: what is actually happening? Why are Ukrainian drones and missiles now able to fly over Russia and cause damage?" the minister told reporters.

According to Kaunas, growing pressure on Russia is increasing the potential for Moscow to escalate its hybrid operations.

The minister emphasised that Lithuania and other eastern flank states must remain highly vigilant, although he noted that the overall threat level has not deteriorated over the past two to three months.

Kaunas has previously said that Russia is considering attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic region using Ukrainian-made drones.

His comments come amid a rise in incidents across Europe linked to what Western governments have described as hybrid warfare.