Latvian Security Service: Russian and Belarusian intelligence planned attacks on Belarusian community in Lithuania

Intelligence & EspionageHuman Intelligence (HUMINT)Recruitment of locals

AggressorDefense

Summary

Latvian Security Service revealed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence planned covert attacks on Lithuania's Belarusian community, including social media provocation and targeted aggression.

On April 23, 2025, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) disclosed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence had orchestrated plans for covert attacks targeting the Belarusian community in Lithuania. These operations involved social media manipulation to provoke the community and identify individuals for attack. The attackers aimed to record and disseminate videos of their actions to intimidate others. The plan also involved using cryptocurrencies such as Tether for funding, complicating tracking efforts. The VDD is increasing surveillance and counterintelligence measures to prevent destabilization attempts and protect democratic processes. This is part of ongoing hybrid warfare efforts targeting alliance states' minority groups and democratic stability.

Classification

Confidence: High

The event clearly describes hostile actions planned by Russian and Belarusian intelligence targeting Lithuania's Belarusian minority, constituting an aggressor event. The Latvian Security Service's disclosure and warnings about countermeasures reflect active defense preparations by alliance-member services.

Source URL

https://lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/arzemes/23.04.2025-drosibas-dienests-krievijas-un-baltkrievijas-izlukdienesti-planoja-uzbrukumus-baltkrievu-kopienai-lietuva.a596467

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: csv-import
Submitted: Feb 1, 2026, 00:14 UTC
Last updated: Nov 8, 2026, 22:56 UTC
Event time: Apr 23, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Published as a Defense Preparations signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "92f1e003-4841-441a-a8aa-b416f675b31a",
  "url": "https://lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/arzemes/23.04.2025-drosibas-dienests-krievijas-un-baltkrievijas-izlukdienesti-planoja-uzbrukumus-baltkrievu-kopienai-lietuva.a596467",
  "source": "csv-import",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Intelligence & Espionage",
  "subcategory": "Human Intelligence (HUMINT)",
  "incident_type": "Recruitment of locals",
  "country": "Lithuania",
  "source_reliability": "C",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "russian intelligence operations",
    "Belarusian intelligence",
    "Belarusian diaspora",
    "Lithuania",
    "Latvian Security Service",
    "hybrid warfare",
    "social media provocation",
    "cryptocurrency funding",
    "covert attacks",
    "intimidation campaign"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 2: 5th Column"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "Lithuania"
  ],
  "where_text": "Cyberspace",
  "headline": "Latvian Security Service: Russian and Belarusian intelligence planned attacks on Belarusian community in Lithuania",
  "description": "On April 23, 2025, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) announced that Russian and Belarusian intelligence services planned covert attacks against representatives of the Belarusian community in Lithuania. The operation aimed to provoke unrest within Lithuania's Belarusian diaspora by exploiting social media to incite tensions and disseminate disinformation. The plan included identifying and attacking specific individuals or activists belonging to the Belarusian minority in Lithuania. The VDD warned that potential attackers were likely to strike and share videos of such actions to intimidate the community. The security service also noted that organizers utilized cryptocurrencies such as Tether and other anonymous payment methods to finance these activities. The VDD emphasized increased monitoring to protect democratic processes and urged vigilance in the face of such hybrid threats.",
  "summary_short": "Latvian Security Service revealed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence planned covert attacks on Lithuania's Belarusian community, including social media provocation and targeted aggression.",
  "summary_extended": "On April 23, 2025, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) disclosed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence had orchestrated plans for covert attacks targeting the Belarusian community in Lithuania. These operations involved social media manipulation to provoke the community and identify individuals for attack. The attackers aimed to record and disseminate videos of their actions to intimidate others. The plan also involved using cryptocurrencies such as Tether for funding, complicating tracking efforts. The VDD is increasing surveillance and counterintelligence measures to prevent destabilization attempts and protect democratic processes. This is part of ongoing hybrid warfare efforts targeting alliance states' minority groups and democratic stability.",
  "actor_primary": "Russian intelligence services",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": null,
  "location_region": "",
  "location_coordinates_lat": null,
  "location_coordinates_lon": null,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "DEFENSE_PREP_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The event clearly describes hostile actions planned by Russian and Belarusian intelligence targeting Lithuania's Belarusian minority, constituting an aggressor event. The Latvian Security Service's disclosure and warnings about countermeasures reflect active defense preparations by alliance-member services.",
  "event_time_utc": "2025-04-23T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:40.428Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T22:56:46.380Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "moderate",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "independent_sources"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: ModerateAttribution: HighIndependence confirmedTime: Same dayLocation: Regional

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Apr 23, 2025, 00:00 UTC

Event time confidence

pm24h

Location

Cyberspace

Primary actor

Russian intelligence services

Country

Lithuania

Countries

Lithuania

Tags

russian intelligence operations, Belarusian intelligence, Belarusian diaspora, Lithuania, Latvian Security Service, hybrid warfare, social media provocation, cryptocurrency funding, covert attacks, intimidation campaign

Nodes

Node 2: 5th Column

Loading signal...

{ "id": "92f1e003-4841-441a-a8aa-b416f675b31a", "url": "https://lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/arzemes/23.04.2025-drosibas-dienests-krievijas-un-baltkrievijas-izlukdienesti-planoja-uzbrukumus-baltkrievu-kopienai-lietuva.a596467", "source": "csv-import", "status": "approved", "category": "Intelligence & Espionage", "subcategory": "Human Intelligence (HUMINT)", "incident_type": "Recruitment of locals", "country": "Lithuania", "source_reliability": "C", "info_credibility": "3", "tags": [ "russian intelligence operations", "Belarusian intelligence", "Belarusian diaspora", "Lithuania", "Latvian Security Service", "hybrid warfare", "social media provocation", "cryptocurrency funding", "covert attacks", "intimidation campaign" ], "nodes": [ "Node 2: 5th Column" ], "countries": [ "Lithuania" ], "where_text": "Cyberspace", "headline": "Latvian Security Service: Russian and Belarusian intelligence planned attacks on Belarusian community in Lithuania", "description": "On April 23, 2025, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) announced that Russian and Belarusian intelligence services planned covert attacks against representatives of the Belarusian community in Lithuania. The operation aimed to provoke unrest within Lithuania's Belarusian diaspora by exploiting social media to incite tensions and disseminate disinformation. The plan included identifying and attacking specific individuals or activists belonging to the Belarusian minority in Lithuania. The VDD warned that potential attackers were likely to strike and share videos of such actions to intimidate the community. The security service also noted that organizers utilized cryptocurrencies such as Tether and other anonymous payment methods to finance these activities. The VDD emphasized increased monitoring to protect democratic processes and urged vigilance in the face of such hybrid threats.", "summary_short": "Latvian Security Service revealed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence planned covert attacks on Lithuania's Belarusian community, including social media provocation and targeted aggression.", "summary_extended": "On April 23, 2025, the Latvian State Security Service (VDD) disclosed that Russian and Belarusian intelligence had orchestrated plans for covert attacks targeting the Belarusian community in Lithuania. These operations involved social media manipulation to provoke the community and identify individuals for attack. The attackers aimed to record and disseminate videos of their actions to intimidate others. The plan also involved using cryptocurrencies such as Tether for funding, complicating tracking efforts. The VDD is increasing surveillance and counterintelligence measures to prevent destabilization attempts and protect democratic processes. This is part of ongoing hybrid warfare efforts targeting alliance states' minority groups and democratic stability.", "actor_primary": "Russian intelligence services", "target_primary": null, "location_text": null, "location_region": "", "location_coordinates_lat": null, "location_coordinates_lon": null, "location_precision": "Regional", "is_aggressor_signal": true, "signal_type": "DEFENSE_PREP_SIGNAL", "is_hybrid_war_signal": true, "classification_complete": true, "hybrid_signal_complete": true, "classification_confidence": "High", "classification_rationale": "The event clearly describes hostile actions planned by Russian and Belarusian intelligence targeting Lithuania's Belarusian minority, constituting an aggressor event. The Latvian Security Service's disclosure and warnings about countermeasures reflect active defense preparations by alliance-member services.", "event_time_utc": "2025-04-23T00:00:00.000Z", "end_time_utc": null, "event_time_confidence": "pm24h", "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:40.428Z", "updated_at": "2026-11-08T22:56:46.380Z", "reliability_band": "strong", "location_precision_band": "regional", "time_precision_band": "within_24h", "severity_band": "moderate", "attribution_confidence_band": "high", "attribution_basis": "independent_sources" }