Leaders of NATO and the EU expressed full support for the Baltic States after Russian threats, ERR reported. Russia accused the Baltic States of allowing Ukrainian drone strikes from their territory, threatening retaliation. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte called the Russian accusations “absolutely ridiculous,” while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stated that the Russian threats were “completely unacceptable,” LETA reported. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that Russia’s threats were “a sign of weakness.”
Baltic officials have said repeatedly that the increasing number of Ukrainian drones entering Baltic airspace is mostly due to Russian electronic interference. Interestingly, a Lithuanian military official disclosed that the Belarusian military had warned Latvia and Lithuania about a potential drone heading towards their territory on 20 May 2026, LETA reported. No such drone was detected, however. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said that Russia was trying to intimidate and sow doubt among NATO allies through false statements, LETA reported.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda reportedly warned Ukraine that its drones must avoid Lithuanian airspace, The Baltic Sentinel reported. One fear is that Ukraine may consider striking targets in Russia’s Kaliningrad region through Lithuanian or Polish airspace. Another fear is that Russia could stage a false-flag attack using captured Ukrainian drones. Meanwhile, Remigijus Bridikis, director of Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD), warned that the security situation was becoming increasingly tense, suggesting further escalation, BNS reported.