Russia conducts large-scale information operation against the Baltic states - Defense Ministry

RIGA - Russia is currently conducting a large-scale and coordinated information operation against Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, claiming that the Baltic countries are allowing Ukraine to use of their territory for attacks against Russia, LETA was told at the Latvian Defense Ministry.

The Defense Ministry stresses that Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are not involved in the planning or implementation of Ukraine's counterattacks against Russia. The Baltic states support Ukraine with military equipment, humanitarian aid, and financial support, and underscore that Ukraine has a legitimate right to defend itself against the full-scale Russian invasion.

By making such statements, Russia is demonstrating its weakness and trying to deflect attention from the fact that it is unable to defend itself against Ukraine's successful counterattacks on Russian infrastructure on the Baltic Sea coast, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The Defense Ministry says that Russia's information operations against the Baltic states are aimed at discrediting NATO, dividing society, undermining confidence in state institutions, and weakening support for Ukraine. Disinformation and social media bots are used, targeting Russian-speaking audiences and young people.

As reported, several drones flew and exploded in all three Baltic states this week. They were most likely aimed by Ukrainian forces at targets in Russia but were deflected or diverted by electronic warfare jamming techniques.

Baltic officials have stressed that these incidents are a consequence of Russia's full-scale war of aggression and that such incidents can happen again.

In the early hours of Monday morning, a drone crashed on frozen Lake Lavys in the Varena District of Lithuania, near the Belarusian border.

In Latvia, a drone flew in from Russia in the early hours of Wednesday and exploded in Kraslava Municipality, about one kilometer from the center of Svarini Parish, while another UAV briefly entered Latvia from Belarusian airspace and headed toward Russia.

A drone from Russian airspace flew into northeastern Estonia and hit the chimney of the Auvere power plant on Wednesday morning.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene confirmed that the crashed UAV was a Ukrainian drone, which had been destined for a target in Russia.

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said that the aircraft that flew and exploded in Latvian airspace was also a Ukrainian drone, apparently part of a coordinated Ukrainian operation against Russian targets.

Overnight, Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Russian ports of Ust-Luga and Vyborg in the Leningrad Region. Earlier, Ukrainian drones hit the port of Primorsk in northwest Russia. These ports are located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea.