Russia has warned it will take retaliatory measures against any deployment of nuclear weapons in Baltic states, stressing that such actions would not strengthen regional security but instead escalate tensions and increase risks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lithuania’s interest in hosting nuclear arms “will not enhance security” but would force Moscow to respond to protect its interests. He added that these states “will not achieve greater security through this decision, but will significantly raise risks, as Russia will take countermeasures.”

His remarks followed Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda’s announcement of near-unanimous political agreement to lift the constitutional ban on nuclear weapons and foreign bases. According to Politico, most parliamentary leaders believe Article 137 of the constitution is outdated, and the legislature will soon move to amend it.

Lithuania, a NATO member since 2004, had earlier expressed readiness to host U.S. nuclear weapons to bolster deterrence against Russia. Finland recently took a similar step, with its parliament voting to abolish Cold War-era nuclear bans, citing strengthened NATO commitments.

The Financial Times reported last month that Washington is considering expanding nuclear deployments in other NATO countries to reassure allies of America’s nuclear umbrella despite potential reductions in conventional military support.

Battlefield Escalation

Meanwhile, three people were killed in overnight Russian strikes on Ukraine, including one civilian in Kyiv, which suffered heavy explosions for the second consecutive night. Attacks on Kharkiv killed two and injured 20, according to local authorities.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed strikes targeted military and defense facilities in Kyiv, including a plant producing components for Flamingo cruise missiles and a drone assembly site. Russian authorities also reported one civilian killed and six injured in Ukraine’s attack on Belgorod.

Moscow further announced that its forces “neutralized” about 1,400 Ukrainian soldiers in the past 24 hours across multiple fronts. Russian air defenses reportedly downed eight guided bombs and 903 Ukrainian drones.

The ministry added that its “West” group forces continue clearing operations in Krasny Lyman, capturing two Ukrainian positions, destroying vehicles and drone hubs, and striking a British-made Rapid Ranger air defense system—marking the first reported destruction of this system since its deployment in Ukraine.