Main image: Deividas Matulionis Photo by Ž. Gedvilos / BNS
Lithuanian authorities have officially stated that there is a direct threat to national security and that preparations are underway for very serious provocations from the Russian Federation. The chief national security adviser to the President of Lithuania, Deividas Matulionis, said that the dangerous escalation is unfolding amid absurd accusations from Moscow, which is trying to accuse Vilnius of providing its airspace for the passage of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles attacking targets on Russian territory, as reported by LRT.
The adviser stressed that the situation has escalated to extremely dangerous levels, and that this is far from just a propaganda campaign in the Russian public sphere. According to the Lithuanian leadership, destructive processes are much deeper and are coordinated directly by Russian intelligence services and relevant state structures. Amid these threats, Deividas Matulionis declined to disclose specific non-public details of the planned Russian provocations, but confirmed that the situation requires maximum vigilance from all security institutions.
These high-profile clarifications followed journalists’ requests to comment further on the recent strong warning by Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, who called on the warring countries of Europe to refrain from using sovereign Lithuanian territory for the passage of military drones. Last week, the head of state directly stated that such incidents would constitute a gross violation of international law.
According to Deividas Matulionis, Gitanas Nausėda’s warning was primarily directed at Russia, which has recently been deliberately and aggressively amplifying this issue in the media space. He emphasized that Lithuania must clearly and uncompromisingly declare to the world its commitment to defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Matulionis stressed that the Baltic republic is not directly participating in hostilities, although it has provided and will continue to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine.
This firm stance by Vilnius is driven by the fact that in recent months the Kremlin has been actively speculating on the issue of Ukrainian drones in the airspace of Baltic states. Moscow accuses the region of facilitating attacks on its military and energy infrastructure and claims that drone transit creates a direct threat to the security of Kaliningrad region, even though drones physically cannot reach it from Ukraine without crossing the borders of Lithuania or Poland. At the same time, defense officials from the Baltic states and NATO representatives have convincingly rejected these claims, explaining that Ukrainian drones enter their territory only because Russian electronic warfare systems disrupt their navigation.
An additional factor exposing vulnerabilities in national security systems was a recent incident in Lithuania’s Utena district, where a drone crashed into a field near the village of Samane last Sunday. Deividas Matulionis acknowledged that the presidential administration received information about the incident from the National Crisis Management Centre with some delay. Nevertheless, the adviser urged politicians to avoid mutual public accusations, stating that in the current conditions of escalation and threats from Russia, it is far more important to focus on constructive solutions and improving state response mechanisms.
Immediately after the incident, President Gitanas Nausėda held an emergency meeting with Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas, after which he announced that anti-drone defense would be immediately elevated to one of the country’s highest national priorities.
