MOSCOW, April 16, 2026 (Agencies): Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has issued a stern warning to Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, cautioning them against allowing Ukrainian drones to use their airspace for strikes on Russian territory.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Shoigu said there has been a noticeable increase in Ukrainian drone attacks entering Russia via these countries, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. He stressed that if the four NATO states are found to be deliberately permitting such operations, Moscow would consider them “open accomplices in aggression” and reserve the right to retaliate under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Shoigu added that either Western air defenses are failing to intercept the drones, or these nations are intentionally providing airspace to Ukraine. “In the latter case, Russia has the right to self-defense in response to an armed attack,” he said.
The warning comes after recent Ukrainian drone raids on Russia’s Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, which set off fires in petrochemical facilities. Kremlin aide Nikolay Patrushev earlier accused Finland and the Baltic states of complicity, saying their involvement would amount to “direct NATO participation” in attacks on Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also confirmed last week that Moscow had formally warned Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia against allowing Ukrainian drones through their territory. “If the regimes in these countries are smart enough, they will listen. If not, then they will have to deal with the consequences,” she said.
Meanwhile, multiple Ukrainian drones have struck areas in Finland and the Baltic states since early March, but none of the four governments have condemned Kiev for violating their airspace.