Russia is named as the biggest threat to Lithuania’s national security in the annual State Security Department’s (VSD) report to the public. It tries to assert its global power and aggressively interferes in other countries’ internal and foreign policy in order to affect and direct their policy for their benefit. Russian military activity that is directed towards West largely was to stimulate the conflict with NATO. Russia is now able to start military actions against the Baltic states within 24-48 hours. According to intelligence, this year the Russian military activity in the region will increase in September for the planned large-scale strategic armed forces exercise “Zapad“. Lithuanian intelligence warns that it is highly likely that the training scenario will focus on an armed conflict with NATO. As part of the training will be immediately next to Lithuanian state border, there is a possibility of intentional or accidental incidents. Dmitrij Peskov, the spokesman of Russian President Vladimir Putin, replied that the Lithuanian security threat assessment is a Russophobe hysteria. LRT.lt reported.
Russian news, not the first year, is broadcasting about Russophobe hysteria that is initiated by Europe. Russian military doctrine states that the greatest threat is posed by, NATO‘s military capabilities posed next to Russia’s borders, the ongoing military exercises in Poland and the Baltic countries.
In 2015 Russia held 4000 military exercises, while NATO – 280. In addition, Russia held 20 unscheduled exercises, while NATO did not hold unplanned military exercises at all. In 2015, Russian military exercises were attended by 120 thousand Russian military members, and 35 thousand attended NATO‘s which is about three and a half times less.
Russia’s military has rehearsed an occupation of the Baltic States, how to keep the occupied territories and to eliminate resistance. According to experts, the conflict would be suppressed by the use of nuclear weapons, by initiating a limited number of nuclear strikes of NATO, if it decided to come to the rescue of the Baltic countries. In 2013, during the joint Russian-Belarusian maneuvers “Zapad” two times more soldiers participated than they were soldiers in all three Baltic countries armies combined at that time.
After the annexation of Crimea an unprecedented show of force in the Baltic Sea took place.
NATO air policing fighters over the years took off accompanied by Russian military aircraft by 150 times. And it is obvious that the demonstration of Russian military aircraft flight power only grew.
However, the two most serious incidents took place in April of last year, when a Russian fighter Su-27 took over the United States intelligence plane in international waters in the Baltic Sea in an “unsafe and unprofessional” manner, which was not in the territory of Russia. It is reported that the Russian Su-27 fighter plane come flying at high speed towards the American aircraft, came close at almost eight meters, and did the so-called static maneuver by turning over above the American airplane.
Russian storming planes just sewed over the United States navy ship for afew days, which sailed from Gdynia to Klaipėda. US military leaked images when only 9 meters separated Su-24 and the ship from colliding, and bomber flew just below the captain‘s bridge. US officials warned Moscow that under the rules of military the aircraft that provoked aircraft crew of Destroyer “Donald Cook could have been shoot down. Because of this incident, Warsaw protested, and summoned the Russian ambassador to Poland to explain.
In July, NATO leaders agreed to deploy an international battalion allies in each of the Baltic countries and Poland.
About a thousand soldiers in Lithuania is led by Germany.
Russian Ambassador to Lithuania Aleksand Udaltsov in December, said: “I can assure you that our response to the unfriendly actions of NATO near Russia’s borders, especially in breach of agreements will be adequate.”
At the time of the Moscow is sending straightforward threats to the Baltic States.
“We need to take a tougher stand, look strictly and without a smile. It sounded that there are possible power options and we are prepared for that. We are ready to resort to force, what more do you want, you Balts? “-, said the Russian State Duma deputy Vladimir Zhirinovsky on February 19.
This is stated not only by the famous politician, however, but V. Putin himself.
In 2005, when he just took office, the president was questioned whether Russia is going to apologize for the population of the Baltic States during the Soviet occupation years. V. Putin reminded about the question of the debated territories. That list is now the annexed Crimea and Klaipėda.
“When the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia lost tens of thousands of historical sites. What do you want now? Everything to be divided once again? Return us to the Crimea and other areas of the Soviet Republic? Then we shall get back Klaipėda “-said the Russian president in 2005.
Political ideologists of Kremlin, who created Novorussian history, state that not only the Klaipėda region, but the whole Lithuania is Russia.
“Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in some periods, accounted for 80 percent of ethnic Russians who professed the Orthodox faith,” – says the Russian historian Aleksandr Dugin.
By the way, the American Political Science scholar Samuel Huntington (popularized the clash of civilizations, as international relations theory) is saying that the cultural differences between the Baltic countries, which are the Catholic and Protestant and published by Western liberal democratic values clash with orthodox Russia, which focused on the oriental autocratic management It is causing the conflict.
Russian historian, St. Petersburg European University Professor Jevgenij Anisimov explains the Russian understanding: “space is the most valuable asset. Scientific and cultural achievements and conquests are not the ones that invoke pride. “
Lithuanian intelligence warns that this year, the forthcoming exercise” Zapad “in Russia and Belarus may become one of the most serious challenges for the country’s security. It is believed that this will be offensive in nature, the largest military exercises and the number of weapons to the Lithuanian borders. The exact extent of the still secret. Last year, Russia held exercises “Caucasus 2016“. Officially, Russia declared that the participation will be several thousand soldiers, but according to observers, the actual number was 120 thousand.
By the way, in the last century Russia has caused a number of conflicts with neighbors. With Lithuania – 4 times – 1918, 1940 1944 and 1991, as well as four – with Ukraine and Azerbaijan, with the Latvians and Estonians 3, Georgia – even 5 conflicts. This clearly shows that Russia is a threatening neighbor, according to the VSD, and these there is no Russophobe hysteria in its statements.
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