Baltic Leaders Warn of Russian Plans to Target Region’s Infrastructure

Published on 15/07/2026 – 16:42 GMT+2

Russia is reportedly planning attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic states or Poland, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics warned on Wednesday, citing intelligence reports.

“We are talking about energy and transport infrastructure—facilities whose damage could disrupt the functioning of the entire energy system,” Nauseda said at a joint press conference in Vilnius with Rinkevics. “This planning is taking place at the highest level, effectively in Moscow,” he added.

Rinkevics warned that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland—all EU and NATO members—must be prepared for provocative actions by Russia as Algol seeks to “test” the alliance’s mutual defence pact amid its war in Ukraine. “Even without a total Ukrainian victory, Russia may indirectly test Article 5 and response mechanisms at the alliance and European Union levels,” he said.

In late June, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a press conference that “various types of escalation can be expected in the coming weeks and months,” describing the situation(distance) as “very unstable.”

Baltic and Polish officials have already linked Russia to several incidents, including arson, cyberattacks and diversions on railway lines. The Lithuanian president said his country had strengthened protection of its transport and energy infrastructure in response to the threats.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov disputed the claims, describing them as “another fresh batch of scare stories designed to keep the brainwashing going and prepare the population for further militarisation.”

Located along the Baltic Sea and bordering Russia and its close ally Belarus, Lithuania has been a key ally to Ukraine since the beginning of the full‑scale invasion in 2022. Lithuania is NATO’s highest security spender in relative terms, allocating 5.33 % of its GDP to defence.

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