Lithuania PM warns Russia stockpiling ballistic missiles as UK spying cases unfold
Lithuania's PM says Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles and does not rule out a NATO attack, as UK police arrest two Latvian men at an RAF base and a Royal Navy sailor faces spying charges.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Lithuania's prime minister has warned that Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles and has refused to rule out an attack on a NATO country. In an interview in Vilnius, he said Russia is still able to produce ballistic missiles and is using only around 30% of them in its war against Ukraine, leaving the rest to be stockpiled. He said the question was what Russia intended to do with them. He added that Russia can escalate, but Lithuania and its allies are not shaking or trembling. Asked whether a mass casualty event, such as a Russian ballistic missile hitting a European city outside Ukraine, was possible, he said he would not predict it, but would not say it was impossible.
The warning came as UK authorities handled two separate security cases. A serving Royal Navy sailor appeared in court charged under national security legislation with seeking to give prohibited information to a foreign power believed to be Russia. He was named as Teddy Young, a very junior sailor accused of serious crimes.
In Cambridgeshire, police said two Latvian nationals were detained in the early hours inside RAF Molesworth. The base is not an active air base but is used by US and NATO forces as an intelligence and analysis hub. The men, aged 36 and 32, are said to have breached the perimeter last night and were arrested on the grounds. They are being held for questioning over suspected offences related to trespass and national security legislation. Counterterrorism police are leading the investigation.
The cases add to concern in the Baltic states and across Europe about Russian activity below the threshold of conventional war. The Lithuanian prime minister said Russia is probing and testing NATO defences and that the threat is escalating. European countries, including the UK, are bolstering security. Wider discussion has included warnings about a possible Russian attack on a NATO country by 2030 and questions about defence spending. There has also been recent espionage trouble in Germany and new UK-German cooperation against cyber attacks.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Reported by all 2 channels | ||
| A Royal Navy sailor, identified as Teddy Young, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged under national security legislation with offences related to providing information to a foreign power believed to be Russia; he did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody until the Old Bailey on 16 October. | Reported by Channel 4 | |
| Two Latvian men were detained at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, a base used by US and NATO intelligence, on suspicion of trespass and national security offences, with counterterrorism police leading the questioning. | Reported by Channel 4 | |
| Only on one channel | ||
| Lithuania's prime minister said Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles and did not rule out an attack on a NATO country, with about 30% of its ballistic missiles used in Ukraine and the rest stockpiled. | Not reported by Channel 4 | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led with the Lithuanian prime minister's warning from Vilnius, using its own interview as the spine of the story. It paired that with two UK security cases and gave the studio panel room to argue that the threat is under-discussed and that leaders may be preparing the public for higher defence spending. The tone was urgent but not alarmist, with Baltic anxiety and NATO readiness as the main frame.
- “And the prime minister of Lithuania has told Sky News that he believes Russia is stockpiling ballistic missiles and he doesn't rule out the possibility of an attack on a NATO country.”
- “So Russia can escalate, but we're not shaking or trembling.”
- “I wouldn't be predicting that. But I would not say that it's not impossible.”
Broadcast Timeline
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