Russia cannot leave Lithuania in peace: the eastern neighbour collects information, makes attempts to get into the presidential administration and recruit entrepreneurs, activists and law enforcers, strives for creating public opinion via media outlets, Lithuanian security institutions’ annual report says.
The Lithuanian side fears that Russia and Belarus are planning to wangle their people into Lithuania’s Armed Forces or seek ways to recruit among local conscripts.
“To get into the system of defense, they might use recruits,” the document reads.
Lithuania’s intelligence agencies recall that paramedic Andrey Oshurkov, who had been recruited by Belarusian secret services and planted into the Lithuanian army as a conscript, was sentenced for three years of imprionment in 2016.
Lukashenka’s regime and its intelligence services’ activity is also a threat to Lithuania, delfi.lt says. The most active intelligence operations targeted against Lithuanian defense were carried out by Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the General Intelligence Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The latter coordinated their actions with Belarus.
belsat.eu, following interfax.by