Russia issues 'last warning' to four NATO states in Baltic amid fears of war

Russia issues 'last warning' to four NATO states in Baltic amid fears of warRussia issues "last warning" to four NATO states over "bogus" accusations that they are allowing Ukraine drone access with fears that it could be a pretext for war in the BalticCommentsNewsTim Hanlon News Reporter08:21, 17 Apr 2026Updated 08:32, 17 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesFears are growing that Putin could be planning military action in the Baltic(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)Fears are mounting that Russia is paving the way for military action in the Baltic that could trigger a war.‌The Kremlin has issued a “last warning” to four NATO states it accuses of allowing Ukrainian drones to overfly their territory to strike key oil port targets near St Petersburg.‌The secretary of Vladimir Putin’s security council Sergei Shoigu warned of Russia’s “inherent right” to self defence, implying Moscow could launch military strikes against Finland, Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania.‌View 2 ImagesShoigu warned of Russia’s “inherent right” to self defence(Image: Tass; e2w news)READ MORE: Donald Trump issues nuclear warning to Pope Leo and REFUSES to meet himREAD MORE: KLM cancels flights to and from UK as major airlines face fuel crisisAll four states have vigorously denied giving permission to Ukraine to use their airspace - yet Russia keeps repeating the “bogus” accusation and could use it as a pretext to attack these states which are all covered by NATO’s article 5 collective defence umbrella.The warning from army general Shoigu - the man who as then defence minister led Russia’s invasion off Ukraine in 2022 - was coordinated with Putin, say sources in Moscow.‌It comes as Russia issued warnings to Finland about permitting nuclear weapons on its territory, and Western fears that Putin could be planning to grab one of four Baltic Sea islands belonging to Estonia, Sweden or Denmark in a test of NATO’s unity and ability to respond to blatant aggression.And the Russian defence minist...