In recent weeks, the Baltic states have contacted Ukrainian defense manufacturers and civil protection experts to discuss building bomb shelters, Politico wrote, citing Igor Federko, director of the Ukrainian Armor Council.
“These are small countries,” Federko said. “They are trying to find the best solutions in the event of Russian aggression, if it happens. To ensure the safety of our people.”
Estonian Defense Minister Hannu Pefkur told Politico that his country has long been preparing for possible attacks from Russia and has sufficient experience to protect the population. A representative of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said that the ministry had no information about negotiations on shelters, but noted that “the experience gained in Ukraine is of great value.” The head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
CEO of the Ukrainian company Metinvest, Yuri Ryzhenkov, confirmed that his company has held preliminary negotiations with the governments of the Baltic countries about building shelters to protect against possible drone attacks. “Anyone can build a bomb shelter, but tactical experience is valuable,” Rezhenkov added.
In recent months, incidents of drones invading the airspace of the Baltic states have become increasingly frequent. In Latvia, one of the downed Ukrainian drones damaged an oil tank in the city of Rezekne, near the Russian border. A series of drone incidents led to the resignation of the head of the country’s Ministry of Defense, who was unable to confront the threat, and then to the resignation of the government.
In Lithuania, members of the government and the country’s president, Gitanas Nauseda, were forced, due to an air strike, to take refuge in a shelter. After several similar incidents with drone strikes, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sepiga apologized to the Baltic states.