After the Russian security service FSB reported killing an alleged saboteur from Lithuania, the country’s authorities call it disinformation.
The FSB said on Friday that a Ukrainian agent travelled from Lithuania to Russia in order to carry out “acts of sabotage and terror” in military facilities near Moscow.
Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the head of the Lithuanian National Crisis Management Centre (NKVC), says one of the aims of this “aggressive activity” is to influence Lithuania’s support for Ukraine. More “disinformation attacks” can be expected in the near future, as Lithuania is undergoing intensive military exercises.
“Russia has a long history of systematic disinformation campaigns and provocations aimed at raising tensions among the public and the allies, and at covering up its aggressive actions. This disinformation disseminated by the FSB is just such a case,” Vitkauskas told the media on Friday.
“Given that Lithuania is currently hosting the Thunder Storm military exercise, we may see more disinformation attacks of this nature. We urge citizens to remain vigilant, and we ask information disseminators to be cautious about disinformation spread by Russia,” he added.
The Russian FSB reported on Friday that a Ukrainian military intelligence agent was killed after allegedly travelling from Lithuania to the Moscow region in March. His alleged aim was taking explosives from hideouts set up by the Ukrainian special services and using them to carry out “acts of sabotage and terror in military and infrastructure facilities in the region”.
The Russian security service claims that weapons, explosives, as well as a payment card issued by a bank in Lithuania were found in the alleged perpetrator’s apartment and garage. Telephone messages “with a handler” allegedly confirmed preparations for a terrorist attack, also in the Leningrad region, and that the person had been training in Pabradė, Lithuania.
According to the report, the person resisted capture and was shot dead.
A week earlier, the FSB announced the arrest of a Ukrainian man, who allegedly had also come to Russia from Lithuania and was planning the bombings.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
