Belarus steps up efforts to destabilize Baltic states – Center for Countering Disinformation

According to Ukrinform, the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council reported this on Telegram.

"Belarus has stepped up efforts to destabilize the situation in the Baltic states. In October, Lithuania recorded the highest number of attempted illegal crossings from Belarusian territory in the past six months – 275, nearly half of which occurred in the last five days of the month," the statement reads.

The surge came immediately after Vilnius closed several border checkpoints in response to mass drone launches from Belarus carrying smuggled cigarettes. The Lithuanian government described these incidents as a hybrid attack combining economic, informational, and migration pressure.

Over the past ten months, Lithuanian border guards have already stopped more than 41,000 illegal entrants, or 20% more than last year. This indicates that Minsk is deliberately using migrants as a tool to pressure the European Union. A similar tactic was employed by the Belarusian regime in 2021, when it orchestrated the transfer of migrants from the Middle East to provoke an artificial migration crisis.

The CCD said that Belarus' actions fully align with Russia's interests. The current increase in Belarusian activity is part of a coordinated, multi-layered hybrid war that Minsk and Moscow are waging against Europe.

Photo: VSAT