Russian propagandists threaten Lithuania with a “special military operation” that could involve nuclear weapons/ Subsequently, the publication deleted the article

Russian state media and propagandists are evoking a possible conflict between Russia and Lithuania, a NATO member state, suggesting that Moscow could resort directly to nuclear weapons. The messages were published against the backdrop of European warnings about the risk of Russian provocations or hybrid attacks in Alliance states.

The Russian state news agency Ria Novosti published an article entitled “Russia faces a new special military operation. It will be very short.” The author, propagandist Oleksandr Nosovych, claims that Russia could avoid sending ground forces and use missiles with nuclear warheads against Lithuania.

The claims were reported by the Ukrainian agency UNN. According to the Dossier Center and Lithuanian television channel LRT, Nosovych is allegedly part of an influence network active in the Baltic states, coordinated by the Russian special services.

A few hours later, Ria Novosti deleted the article “because it does not correspond to the editorial opinion, editorial policy, and state policy of the Russian Federation.”

In recent months, intelligence services in Denmark and the Czech Republic, as well as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, have warned of possible Russian actions against NATO states. The Suwalki Corridor, between Poland and Lithuania, is considered one of the vulnerable areas. On 16 September, the European Parliament adopted a report on strengthening the EU’s response to Russia’s hybrid threats.