Planned terrorist attack in Siauliai is only part of the picture - Nauseda's adviser

VILNIUS - Activities of the Spanish nationals who attempted to stage a terrorist attack in Siauliai in September is a provocation organized by a country hostile to Lithuania, and this failed attack is only a small part of a broader picture, says Kestutis Budrys, national security adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

"These events are real. On the other hand, we have an adversary who has the planning capacity, who has the resources, who can act globally, and who is really extensive in terms of continental Europe, and he has set his sights on targets in Lithuania," Budrys told Lithuanian public television.

He added that this incident is just a small part of the whole picture.

"The publicly reported unsuccessful and a few successful operations are only part of the whole picture of what is currently going on in Europe, and Lithuania is one of these countries," the president's adviser said.

According to Budrys, such attacks usually target objects and sites that are of importance to Russia and can resonate with the public.

"From what we have recently seen, these are objects that are important to us, objects of historical memory, we have seen this before. These are locations that can resonate with the public, that can create this sense of terror, for example, mass gatherings of people, shopping centers," the Lithuanian president's adviser said.

As reported on Tuesday, law enforcement authorities have detained two Spanish nationals suspected of an attempt to stage an act of terrorism in Siauliai in September. They had planned to set fire to the buildings and equipment of a company.

The two suspects tried to hide in Riga but were apprehended by officers of the Latvian State Security Service and later handed over to Lithuania.