(Dan Tri) – Lithuanian intelligence has pointed out factors that help Russia prolong its military campaign in Ukraine after 2 years of conflict.
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery in Donetsk (Photo: Reuters).
In a report by the Security Counterintelligence Department and the Department of Security and Defense Intelligence of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense published on March 7, these agencies assessed high oil prices, sanctions circumvention and investment.
According to Lithuania’s annual report assessing the threats facing this Baltic country, Russia has reformed and strengthened its military and is on track to expand its military capabilities along its border with NATO.
`Moscow can evaluate lessons learned and improve combat effectiveness,` Lithuanian agencies added.
These agencies said that Russian intelligence is promoting efforts to circumvent sanctions imposed on Russia’s defense industry after the conflict in Ukraine broke out in February 2022.
Lithuanian agencies said that while Russia is openly supplied with weapons and ammunition by Iran and North Korea, China has become the largest supplier of microchips and the yuan has become the main currency.
The report points out that since deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus in 2023, Russia has continuously built infrastructure for use in this allied country.
According to the report, Russian and Belarusian intelligence agencies have increased their efforts to recruit Lithuanian border crossers, and Lithuania arrested several of its citizens in 2023 for allegedly providing data to Belarusian intelligence to
Russia’s Defense Minister said on March 4 that the country has strengthened its military forces in the north and west in response to NATO’s reinforcement of forces on Russia’s border.
Lithuania, a neighbor of both Russia and its ally Belarus, is currently a member of NATO and the European Union.
A senior Lithuanian defense official said in February that the Russian military appeared to be better prepared for a large-scale conflict than it was two years ago because it had gained significant experience in the war.
In recent months, many senior Western officials have warned that Russia could launch an attack on NATO within the next few years, although many politicians, including the alliance’s Secretary General,
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed speculation that Moscow could attack NATO as `completely absurd`, explaining that the country has `no geopolitical, economic or military interests`.
In December last year, amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Mr. Putin signed a decree increasing the maximum size of the Russian army by 170,000 soldiers, up to 1.3 million troops.
Russia has also significantly increased its production of ammunition, military equipment and battlefield weapons.
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