Overview
- At a Baltic Defence conference in Vilnius, Estonia’s chief of defence Andrus Merilo said the region is already in conflict with Russia, marking the first public joint appearance by the three Baltic commanders.
- Lithuanian and Latvian chiefs urged rapid integration of Baltic defense lines with Poland and NATO, prioritizing air and drone defenses, industrial resilience and the capability to respond within hours.
- In Washington, Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna told the U.S. Helsinki Commission that Russia is likely to station more personnel and materiel along the Finnish and Baltic frontiers and warned, "we cannot wait" for an invasion.
- Estonia reports 83 Russian airspace violations since 2003, including a September incursion by three MiG-31 jets that led Tallinn to invoke NATO’s Article 4 for allied consultations.
- Allied officials are reassessing timelines for potential risk, with Germany’s Boris Pistorius noting some assessments point to 2028, while Poland’s top general warns of suspected Russian preparatory actions intended to erode public trust.