Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Unsurprisingly, they did not provide any evidence to support the claims.
Blaming neighbors has always been a favorite tactic during international conflicts.
When tensions rise, a single rumor can quickly drag neutral nations directly into the line of fire. Now, the Kremlin is turning up the heat on its European neighbors.
NATO territory used for Ukrainian attack?
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claims Ukraine is planning drone strikes from inside Latvia.
The SVR stated: “According to the information received, Kyiv does not intend to limit itself to using the air corridors provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by the Baltic states. Drones are also planned to be launched from the territory of these states. The expectation is that this tactic will significantly reduce the flight time to targets and increase the effectiveness of terrorist attacks.”
Moscow claims Ukrainian troops are already on Latvian bases preparing the attacks. The agency also issued a dark warning to the Baltic state, adding that NATO would not shield it.
“One can only sympathize with the naivety of Latvian leaders. Modern intelligence capabilities make it possible to reliably determine the coordinates of UAV launch points. <…> It is worth recalling that the coordinates of decision-making centers on Latvian territory are well known, and the country’s NATO membership will not protect terrorist accomplices from just retribution,” the SVR threatened.
The SVR did not provide any evidence to support the claims.
Fast and furious denials
Unsurprisingly, both capitals fired back immediately, calling the accusations complete fiction.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže took to social media to reject the Kremlin’s narrative. “Fact: Latvia does NOT provide airspace for attacks on Russia. This has already been explained to Russian representatives several times,” Braže stated.
According to Novaya Gazeta, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs also described the claims as false, as did Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi.
Growing regional chaos
This is not the first time Moscow has targeted the region. Back in April, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed the Baltic states were allowing Ukrainian drones to fly through their airspace.
Baltic leaders explained that any Ukrainian drones crossing their borders had simply become lost after being disrupted by Russian electronic jamming systems.
The drone incidents have already caused major political fallout. After several runaway Ukrainian drones crashed in Latvian territory earlier this month, Defense Minister Andris Sprūds and the entire government resigned.
Sources: SVR, X, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
