Sinkevičius rejects special security committee meeting over Russia threats

LRT reported, citing ELTA, that Rimantas Sinkevičius, chairman of the Lithuanian parliament’s National Security and Defence Committee, does not plan to convene a meeting after intelligence agencies reported possible Russian provocations against critical infrastructure in the Baltic region.

Sinkevičius said the information was not new and had been known to committee members before it became public.

“No, I do not plan to. I see nothing new in the information. It was known information, and it began circulating publicly after the incident. Nothing new has emerged,” Sinkevičius told ELTA.

He said the level of threat had not increased and that the committee had not needed a separate discussion.

“We all understand that various provocations exist, have existed and most likely will continue to exist,” he said.

Responding to opposition plans to initiate an extraordinary committee meeting, Sinkevičius called it an unnecessary waste of time. He said no new decisions were likely to result, beyond measures already taken.

Opposition representatives told ELTA on Thursday that they would initiate an extraordinary meeting themselves if the committee chairman did not do so.

According to information previously reported, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Lithuanian intelligence had information that Russia was considering possible provocations in the Baltic region. No decision had been made and no specific date had been identified.

Kaunas said the Kremlin was considering attacks against critical infrastructure in the Baltic region. He said Russia could potentially use Ukrainian drones in such operations, which would constitute a so called false flag operation intended to create the impression that another country had carried it out.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said on Thursday that the state was preparing for possible scenarios and that the threat level had not changed drastically.

Lithuania announced at the end of July that it had indefinitely strengthened security at strategic facilities after information emerged about possible Russian operations against critical infrastructure in the Baltic states. The facilities include the liquefied natural gas terminal in Klaipėda, the LitPol Link electricity connection with Poland at the Alytus substation, a transformer substation in Alytus district and the Kruonis pumped-storage hydropower plant.

ELTA also reported that airspace violations had been recorded in the Baltic states and Finland for several months as Russian forces diverted Ukrainian drones from their course. As Ukrainian forces continue drone attacks on Russian territory, the Kremlin has accused the Baltic states of allowing their territory to be used for Ukrainian military operations.