The Digester

Lithuania's annual security report says Russia is positioning forces and rebuilding military capacity near NATO borders, warning the Kremlin could be ready for a conventional conflict in Europe within six years while regional states and NATO move to strengthen deterrence.

Lithuania's intelligence assessment says Russia is strengthening military units along NATO borders and could prepare for a wide scale conflict within six years if sanctions are lifted.
The report warns Russia could rebuild a 30 to 50 percent larger and more modern army and restore strategic reserves of weapons and ammunition.
Lithuanian analysts say battlefield experience in Ukraine and closer military industry cooperation with China have helped Moscow reduce reliance on Western technology and boost arms production.
The assessment notes multiple outages to Baltic Sea pipelines, power cables, and telecoms since 2023 linked to ships from Russian ports, raising concern about threats to critical infrastructure.
Finland is moving to remove a 1987 ban on nuclear weapons on its territory to fully host NATO deterrence after joining the alliance in 2023.
NATO has pledged to increase its military presence in the Baltic and Nordic region amid heightened alerts and similar warnings from neighboring intelligence services.

Lithuania warns Russia is massing forces near NATO and could be ready for war within six years

Sources