With Russia unable to secure victory in its war against Ukraine, the Kremlin is looking for an alternative win and now regards the Baltic region and Poland as its most likely next target, said Lithuania's Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas.
"Since the war in Ukraine is not unfolding as Russia planned, they are unable to win, and today explosions are echoing within Russia itself, there are fuel shortages [...] Russian society is already questioning the Kremlin regime about why this is happening and where the promised victory is," Kaunas told LRT on Monday.
"The Kremlin, [Vladimir] Putin, needs a new escalation, some kind of new win, and the Baltic region and Poland are the nearest target in this case," he added.
His remarks came after President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed, in an interview with BNS, reports that had circulated in foreign media weeks earlier suggesting Russia was planning provocations in Poland or the Baltic states designed to test NATO's unity.
According to the president, the assessment is based on intelligence data, and concerns possible Russian attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which could be carried out using either conventional military means or so-called hybrid tactics.
