Russia Threatens To Attack Baltic NATO States Over Alleged Ukraine Drone Launches

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia threatened to attack Baltic nations if they assist Ukraine in launching drones into Russian territory, despite their membership in the Western NATO military alliance.

A Russian attack could trigger NATO’s Article 5, which says that “an armed attack against one or more” alliance members “shall be considered an attack against them all,” potentially sparking a broader armed conflict or World War III.

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, claimed Moscow had information suggesting Ukraine planned to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic states, warning that “membership in NATO would not protect those countries from retaliation.”

Nebenzya told a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine that Kyiv had already dispatched Ukrainian drone forces to Latvia and suggested Russian intelligence could identify launch sites.

“The foreign intelligence of Russia did say that the coordinates of decision-making centers in Latvia are well known, and membership in NATO will not protect you from retaliation, even if you are a member of NATO,” Nebenzya warned.

BALTIC DENIALS

Latvia’s envoy to the Security Council, Sanita Pavluta-Deslandes, dismissed the allegations as “pure fiction.” Latvia’s Foreign Ministry later summoned the acting head of Russia’s mission and lodged what it called a “categorical protest.”

The ministry said Latvia had repeatedly informed Moscow through diplomatic channels and public statements that it had not allowed its territory or airspace to be used for attacks against Russia.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the U.N. Tammy Bruce warned the Security Council that the United Nations was “no place for threats against a council member” and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to NATO obligations.

Ukraine’s envoy to the U.N., Andriy Melnyk, also rejected the accusations as “fairy tales,” while accusing Russia of intensifying deadly attacks on Ukrainian civilians.

DRONE ALERTS

The diplomatic row followed several drone-related incidents in the Baltic region. Ukraine accused Russia of redirecting one of its drones into Estonian airspace, where a NATO aircraft reportedly shot it down.

Latvia issued two separate air threat alerts on Tuesday over fears that drones may have crossed into its airspace near the Russian border, prompting NATO Baltic Air Police jets to scramble. Authorities later said no evidence of an actual incursion was found.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry apologized to Estonia over the drone incident and insisted Ukraine was not using Latvian or Estonian territory to attack Russia, a position echoed by the Baltic governments.

The tensions also raised concerns in other former Soviet satellite states such as Hungary, where the new government recently summoned Russia’s ambassador after a reported Russian drone attack across the border in western Ukraine, home to a sizable ethnic Hungarian minority.

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