Rinkevics in Lithuania warns of possible Russian provocations in the region

VILNIUS - Russia, which has been significantly weakened on the battlefield in Ukraine, may resort to provocations in the region, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics warned during his state visit to Lithuania on Wednesday.

According to the Latvian president, intelligence from Lithuania, Latvia, and other NATO allies indicates that Russia is attempting to carry out acts of sabotage and hybrid attacks to undermine regional security.

"We must be extremely prepared for the stage of the war in Ukraine where Russia no longer achieves any victories and is unable to advance on the battlefield. Even without a total Ukrainian victory, Russia may indirectly test Article 5 and response mechanisms at the Alliance and European Union levels," Rinkevics said.

His remarks followed President Gitanas Nauseda's confirmation on Tuesday of Western media reports suggesting that Russia could stage provocations in the Baltic states and Poland to test NATO unity.

The Latvian president said security services were already detaining an increasing number of individuals spying for or cooperating with Russia and Belarus.

"They are indeed testing our readiness and vigilance. We must be prepared to respond to new threats," Rinkevics said.

"The next few months, or even the next 12 months, will be crucial for Baltic security. We have already seen hybrid operations ongoing for several years," he added.

Meanwhile, Nauseda said that while Russia was currently incapable of launching large-scale military operations against NATO states, it could be planning smaller-scale but highly damaging attacks against critical infrastructure.

Nauseda stressed that Lithuania should not be "lulled by a summer mood and think that the war is happening somewhere far away."

Nauseda previously said information regarding potential Russian provocations was based on intelligence data, with scenarios including attacks on critical regional infrastructure using both conventional and non-conventional means.

Lithuania has recently tightened security at key transport and energy facilities.