Nausėda says Russia hides its role in hybrid attacks

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says Russia deliberately masks its involvement in hybrid attacks against Europe, making them difficult to attribute, LRT reported Monday. He said the Kremlin also seeks to keep pressure on Western countries by suggesting they could face similar attacks if they help Ukraine.

European officials have recently warned that Russia’s military and intelligence services have stepped up attempts to wage hybrid warfare. Lithuanian politicians have linked an attempted arson attack on Sunday at the Vilnius premises of Delska, where US company SpaceX operates and Starlink equipment is stored, to Russia. Similar incidents are under investigation in Bulgaria, where several antennas used to connect to the Starlink satellite network were set on fire, and in Poland, where a fire broke out at a Starlink satellite communications station in September.

Nausėda said NATO needs a clearer strategy for responding to such attacks, adding that concerns about escalating tensions can sometimes discourage a stronger response. He also called for Russia’s special and intelligence services to be designated terrorist organisations, and said attacks linked to the Kremlin had affected even countries that traditionally took a cautious approach to Moscow.

Separately, Nausėda said Lithuania’s air defence system had responded to a drone that entered the country over the weekend, but the procedure for warning residents could be improved. He said the issue would be discussed at the next meeting of the State Defence Council, including whether to respond more quickly in areas where a drone is expected to enter while avoiding unnecessary disruption elsewhere.

The drone entered Lithuania from Poland, crashed in Pasvalys district and exploded. Its debris damaged a civilian car. Ukraine apologised for the incident and said the drone may have been diverted by Russian electronic warfare measures. Lithuanian officials said Polish authorities had not detected the aircraft on their radar. Nausėda said further indicators were needed to establish whether an object posed a threat, noting that Lithuania had received no warning from Polish authorities.