Lithuania’s security situation worsening, warns intelligence chief

The head of Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) has warned that the country’s security situation is deteriorating, with risks of further escalation amid ongoing regional threats, LRT reports.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, VSD Director Remigijus Bridikis said the war in Ukraine—alongside information operations, sabotage attempts, and threats to life—was directly affecting Lithuania’s security environment.

“The security situation is sharpening,” Bridikis stated ahead of a National Security Commission meeting. “War is happening near us—even within our borders if we consider information attacks, sabotage, and assassination attempts.”

His remarks followed a drone incursion earlier the same day, when an unidentified unmanned aircraft crossed into Lithuanian airspace from Latvia at approximately 9:40 AM. Radar contact was lost near Merkine around 11:00 AM; the drone’s current location remains unknown. Lithuanian authorities were alerted by Minsk, though the origin and purpose of the drone are unconfirmed.

Similar incidents have been reported in Latvia and Estonia, with NATO officials attributing the presence of Ukrainian drones in the region to Russian electronic warfare tactics that redirect them off course. On Tuesday, Russia’s foreign intelligence service claimed—without evidence—that Ukraine was preparing strikes on Russia from Baltic territory and had already deployed troops in Latvia.

Bridikis characterised Russia’s recent statements and pressure as part of a broader information offensive. “They need tension in our decision-making,” he said. “This is an information attack—an attempt to exploit any opportunity to destabilise us.”

The National Security Commission meeting was convened after the drone triggered a two-hour air threat alert in southeastern Lithuania, disrupting daily life in affected areas. Schools in Ignalina moved children to shelters as a precaution.

Lithuania’s Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas later acknowledged operational gaps in response protocols, pledging a review of procedures. “Cases of misunderstanding or lack of practice will certainly be analysed,” he said.

The drone’s disappearance remains under investigation, with no confirmation of its recovery or final trajectory.