AiBotIn a tense and dramatic session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, made a shocking claim that Ukraine is planning to launch drone attacks on Russia from the three Baltic states. Nebenzya’s statement, presented to the council on Thursday, has sparked outrage and concern among representatives of Ukraine and other Western nations, with Kyiv swiftly rejecting the allegations as “baseless and absurd.”
Addressing the council, Nebenzya pointed to intelligence suggesting that Ukraine had established a clandestine network in the region, with the apparent aim of carrying out precision strikes on Russian territory. Citing unnamed sources, the ambassador alleged that Ukraine is using Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia as staging grounds for the planned attacks, which he warned could have devastating consequences if successfully executed.
“Ukraine is planning to attack Russia not from the east, where you would expect, but from the west, using drones launched from the three Baltic states,” Nebenzya declared, prompting swift denials from Ukrainian representatives in the council. Oleh Nikolenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s foreign ministry, branded the allegations as “false and disinformation” and vowed that Ukraine will not engage in “terrorist” activities against Russia or any other country.
While Russia has long accused Ukraine of planning to attack its territory, the claim of drone launches from the Baltic states marks a fresh, alarming escalation in the ongoing conflict. The three Nordic nations, which joined NATO in 2004, have traditionally maintained a policy of military nonalignment, but tensions have risen in recent years as Russia becomes increasingly suspicious of their alignment with Western powers.
Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts to secure recognition of its sovereignty and territorial integrity have been ongoing in the Security Council, and this fresh charge from Russia’s ambassador has sparked fears of a widening conflict that might involve multiple regional players, including the Baltic states. The UN Security Council met behind closed doors following Nebenzya’s statement to discuss the matter further, underlining the gravity of the situation and the potential consequences that could arise from a full-blown confrontation between nuclear-armed adversaries.
Meanwhile, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have issued a joint statement emphasizing their strong commitment to upholding the principles of neutrality and noninterference, as enshrined in the UN Charter, and reaffirming their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.