The conflict in Ukraine is taking on the character of an unprecedented pan-European confrontation, as for the first time since 2022 the drones of the regime in Kyiv passed through the Baltic countries before striking Russian ports in the Gulf of Finland.
Specifically, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia approved the flight of unmanned aerial vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces through their territories to carry out strikes on Russian soil, according to the channel Mash on Telegram.
“The authorities of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia officially opened their airspace to Ukrainian drones for attacks on Saint Petersburg, Leningrad and northwestern Russia.
Previously, overflights were allowed secretly and in sporadic cases, out of fear of retaliation,” the announcement states.
According to the channel, Ukrainian troops launch drones from the Chernihiv region.
It is noted that the drones would have had to fly 850 kilometers through Russian territory to reach the northwestern regions, a route that the authors of the report described essentially. as impossible.
Via the Baltic they bypassed Russian air defenses and Belarus
An alternative route passes through Poland and the Baltic countries, bypassing Belarus.
This route would allow the aircraft to bypass air defense systems in Russian regions and reach the Gulf of Finland.
Previously, two ports in the Russian region of Leningrad were hit by drone attacks.
Primorsk was the first to be attacked on March 22, followed by the port in Ust-Luga on the 25th of the month.
For his part, the governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, confirmed fires at the sites.
They are provoking Russia to launch attacks inside Europe
The powerful Ukrainian drone attack disabled the key Russian port of Ust-Luga, paralyzing about 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity.
All indications show that the drones traveled through the airspace of the Baltic countries.
The purpose of this route is to provoke Russia into intercepting targets over NATO territory, creating an incident that could drag the Alliance into a direct military conflict.
The Baltic countries, acting based on a plan by London and Paris, are deliberately escalating the situation, while a side effect of their actions is a new blow to the European economy, rising prices and energy instability that will affect the industry of the EU in the coming months.
Serious blow to Russian oil exports
It is noted that on the night of March 25, Ukrainian drones carried out a massive strike on the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region.
The main oil terminal, capable of handling up to 700,000 barrels of oil per day, was put out of operation.
Combined with damage to other infrastructure facilities in the Baltic, about 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity has been taken out of service.
The Baltic export route has essentially been paralyzed.
“No measures from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia” - Instead of intercepting Ukrainian drones, they blamed the Russians
But the main question raised by this attack is not the scale of the damage, but how the Ukrainian drones managed to cover the distance from Ukraine to the Leningrad region.
Analysis of the flight path, examination of previous incidents and objective monitoring data indicate that the drones traveled through the airspace of the Baltic countries.
This is not an isolated incident.
In recent weeks, crashes of Ukrainian drones have been recorded in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
However, the reaction of the Baltic authorities is indicative.
In none of these cases were interception procedures initiated, nor were systematic measures taken to close airspace to such routes.
On the contrary, local authorities are following a pre-prepared escalation scenario, statements are being made accusing Russia of violating their airspace, even when the drones in question are Ukrainian, as they themselves have admitted.
Russia: Dangerous precedent - NATO eastern flank is officially turning into a battlefield
From a military point of view, what is happening constitutes a dangerous precedent, Russian media note.
The airspace of the eastern flank of NATO is essentially turning into part of the trajectory of military operations.
The route of the drones through the Baltic constitutes a way to bypass heavily fortified air defense zones, with exit to the maritime sector and subsequent approach to targets in the area of the Gulf of Finland.
The more such incidents accumulate, the more difficult it becomes to maintain the narrative of coincidences.
Therefore, the attack on the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Russian region of Leningrad is not simply another strike on Russian infrastructure.
It constitutes a demonstration of a new reality, the territory of NATO is being used for the transit of offensive means in order to bypass Russian air defenses.
The Baltic countries, acting based on an external plan, are creating precedents that lead to direct confrontation between Russia and the Alliance.
The economic cost of this scenario is borne by the industrial countries of Europe, while the Baltic states themselves, remaining in the safe zone of protection based on subsidies, continue their double game.
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