Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has warned that Russia could be planning attacks on European NATO members by targeting energy and transport infrastructure. In an interview with BNS, quoted by Lithuania's LRT, he said intelligence services have received signals of potential kinetic operations against critical infrastructure, though no specific time or place has been identified.
Intelligence Signals and Targeted Operations
Nausėda stated: “We have received such signals from our intelligence services. They do not identify a specific place or time because that is simply impossible to determine. The other side may not even have completed its planning process, and we may only know about the planning itself or the intended objective.” He added that the operations would be “not on a large scale, but targeted kinetic operations that are very likely to be directed against critical infrastructure.”
Echoes from Poland and Baltic Concerns
The Lithuanian leader’s comments echo those of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who recently expressed concerns about a possible Russian provocation in the coming months, particularly in the Baltic states. Tusk said: “I don't mean to scare anyone but the coming months may truly be critical, also due to the changing nature of the war. These concerns are particularly palpable in the Baltic states. Let's not be afraid, we are preparing for various situations, but we cannot ignore them. We are aware of the threats, also thanks to information from our allies.”
Potential NATO Article 5 Trigger
An attack on Lithuania or Poland, both NATO members, could trigger Article 5, dragging the entire alliance into a conflict with Russia. The Kremlin has dismissed the claims as “the latest batch of scare stories designed to continue brainwashing the population and preparing it for further militarisation.”
