The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have firmly rejected accusations from Russia that their territories and airspace have been used for drone strikes against Russian targets. They characterized these claims as part of a disinformation campaign.
In a joint statement, the ministers asserted that none of the three countries has ever permitted the use of their territory or airspace for attacks on Russian sites. They described the allegations as unfounded and reiterated that they have communicated their rebuttals to Russian diplomatic representatives in Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius since late March.
Despite these clarifications, the ministers noted that Russia continues to disseminate false information.
The statement also emphasized Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russia’s full-scale aggression under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The Baltic nations called on Russia to cease its aggressive war against Ukraine and to withdraw its troops from internationally recognized Ukrainian territory, reaffirming their support for Kyiv.
On March 23, a drone, reportedly from Belarus, entered Lithuanian airspace and exploded over Lake Lavisas, more than 20 kilometers from the border. Lithuanian radar systems did not detect the drone.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence suggested that this could have been a Ukrainian drone that deviated from its course, possibly due to electronic warfare measures. Subsequently, the Lithuanian Prime Minister confirmed that it was indeed a Ukrainian drone, likely one targeting Primorsk near St. Petersburg.
On March 25, an unidentified drone from the direction of Russia crashed and exploded in Latvia, detected by Latvian military forces. That same night, another drone, which had veered off course, crashed into a smoke stack at a power station in Auvere, Estonia.
On April 6, Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that the Baltic states had received a warning regarding these incidents, which were linked to claims that allies of Kyiv were allegedly using their airspace for strikes on Russian ports in the Baltic Sea.
“If the regimes of these countries have enough common sense, they will listen. If not, they will have to deal with the consequences,” Zakharova remarked.
The European Union responded to Russia’s threats against the Baltic states, asserting that any violation of the airspace of a member state constitutes an attack on the EU as a whole.
The Baltic states have rejected Russian accusations of allowing drone strikes against Russia from their territories, labeling these claims as disinformation. They reiterated their support for Ukraine's right to defend itself and condemned Russia's ongoing aggression.