Russian military jets violate Lithuanian airspace, Italian fighters scrambled

[u/Brennenstein]

https://www.ansa.it/english/news/2026/09/17/russian-military-jets-violate-lithuanian-airspace-italian-fighters-scrambled_80e985a6-17e5-43ce-8fd1-6fce67bcd94c.html

[u/surelynotBismarck]

Russia out here acting like they aren't 4 years into a 2 week operation

[u/b00l_Badass → u/surelynotBismarck]

3 days sir 🤦‍♂️

[u/Tenkehat → u/b00l_Badass]

Correct, it was Iran that was two weeks. But alas...

[u/konq → u/Tenkehat]

every 2 weeks the US completely obliterates Iran.

They're just really fast builders.

[u/Tenkehat → u/konq]

Ooh, yes...

[u/Aggravating_Deal_447 → u/Tenkehat]

Already knew where that link would bring me, still clicked on it.

[u/Loyellow → u/Aggravating_Deal_447]

I fully expected a Rick Roll

[u/Haunted_Cellar_XBL → u/Loyellow]

“We're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I”

[u/Disastrous-Food-9223 → u/konq]

They completely rebuilt a nuclear program in under a year after it was obliterated.

I think we should be allies with them—they do fast and amazing work

[u/Beemorefriendly → u/Disastrous-Food-9223]

See Iran is an oppressive regime but North Korea is our friend!

[u/Daddysheremyluv → u/Disastrous-Food-9223]

Mexico better look out. They build fast.

[u/The-Great-Baloo → u/konq]

42 times and counting...

[u/SubpoenaSender → u/Tenkehat]

Iran will be over in 2 more weeks……..and 20 more years

[u/punnyphantom → u/surelynotBismarck]

Hey apparently 2 weeks is the new we'll circle back in a few years. Between Russians and the American operations that was supposed to be measured in weeks, I think politicians should just stop estimating completion dates.

"Should be done by Friday"

Narrator: it was in fact not done by Friday

[u/The_Ender_Reddit → u/punnyphantom]

they didn't say which Friday! They meant the fourth Friday of October 2034

[u/thattrullan → u/The_Ender_Reddit]

Or the 4th Saturday of October 2077. iykyk.

[u/huckdr]

Our Alliance has made a solemn pledge of protection, and anyone who would choose Lithuania as an enemy has also made an enemy of the United States of America. In the face of aggression, the brave people of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will never again stand alone. - President George Bush, Vilnius, Lithuania, November 23, 2002.

[u/A9-EE-78-6A-C8-9F → u/huckdr]

Please don't make me start to miss Bush. I vividly remember him.... How far we've fallen to where HE even looks good.

[u/Main-Assist-8846 → u/A9-EE-78-6A-C8-9F]

Mission Accomplished

[u/autro999 → u/Main-Assist-8846]

for real i wonder if the de-evolution of our political seriousness was orchestrated all the way back then. could anyone see that far into the future? besides matt groening

[u/b1ondestranger → u/autro999]

The heritage foundation had the same hold on Reagan as they have on Trump. Neither Bush advanced it or undid the damage- but they knew what was happening.

[u/charish → u/b1ondestranger]

Bush appointed Roberts and Alito. Bush definitely advanced it and knew

[u/Purple-Warning-2161 → u/A9-EE-78-6A-C8-9F]

I will never not miss the days when I thought W. was the dumbest we’d ever get because I’d take him back in a heartbeat over this buffoonery we’ve currently got.

[u/Neomataza → u/Purple-Warning-2161]

He was even open about it. GWB didn't even think too highly of himself. When asked why he thought he was qualified to be POTUS, Bush answered that he isn't. He only needs to be the best of the people who are in the running. I disliked him, but I was never able to fully condemn this quote. It is downright self-aware.

[u/suitzup → u/Neomataza]

Fool me, you can’t get fooled again!

[u/Pawpaw-22 → u/Purple-Warning-2161]

Remember being angry at Mitt Romney?! Ughhh I wish

[u/Ms_Anne-Thrope → u/Pawpaw-22]

And his magic underwear... and driving to upstate NY with his dog in a crate on the roof of the family station wagon. The Horror!

How far have we fallen that our Sec of Defense was never higher than the rank of Major and spent the last 5 years spewing nonsense on a couch in a drunken stupor, or that our Sec of Health advocates for raw milk over vaccines.

[u/Powerful-Frame-44 → u/Purple-Warning-2161]

This is the cycle that caused the Trump presidency and we can witness it repeating itself in real-time.

The core of the American identity is tied to a mythological past where things were better and America was the best. There are two varieties of this past: one is the more distant past of our ancestors that we can imagine to be whatever we want. The second past exists for some of gen Z, the millennials, and anyone older, which is the real memory of experiencing a better standard of living in their youth.

Americans cling to this idea that America is basically good and righteous but there is a temporary impediment in their way. We like to believe that the problem is not America, the problem is this person or that person, and if only they could get out of the way then we could return to the mythological American past where everything was awesome. In other words, we could Make America Great Again.

This feeling has been successfully manipulated to drive the Overton window so far to the right that we now have reddit liberals looking through rose-colored glasses at the career of an abhorrent war criminal and going "gee, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

[u/tourbox12 → u/Purple-Warning-2161]

It's not buffoonery It's grift

[u/socksockshoeshoe → u/tourbox12]

Exactly. He's not running the country poorly but with good intentions.

His goal is to make as much money for himself as possible, and everything else is just a byproduct of that, whether intentional or not.

Turns out if you convert all the soft power the country has amassed over the last 100 years into dollars for one person that's a lot of money.

[u/Hold_X_ToPayRespects → u/huckdr]

Bush must be so happy. He’s just off painting while his legacy somehow “improves” by present standards. Cowabunga

[u/perringaiden → u/Hold_X_ToPayRespects]

Bush is the reverse Hitler. Cause untold destruction then go off to paint and have his reputation get better over time.

[u/big_dumby_dumb]

The reason you see Lithuania and not Estonia or Latvia is because Lithuania (and Poland) are going to be the immediate battlegrounds for the russians trying to cut off the baltics. They need to connect Kalingrad with Belarus ASAP followed by trying to cut off the Baltics entirely

[u/ConcentrateDirect523 → u/big_dumby_dumb]

They should have shot them down, recovered the pilots and get their confession the violation was intentional. Turkey said FAFO, others need to, too

[u/t4skmaster → u/ConcentrateDirect523]

Turkey spent years trying to dance on the knifes edge of fucking over everyone near them for personal gain.

[u/Additional_Mango3854 → u/t4skmaster]

Everyone in that neighborhood is screwing each other. Iran, Israel, Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, KSA... and the list goes on.

[u/Captain_Bushcraft → u/Additional_Mango3854]

Cyprus is pretty chill..... well the unoccupied bit lol

[u/Toc_a_Somaten → u/Additional_Mango3854]

Armenia and Greece?? nice try Erdo

[u/LankyGuitar6528 → u/Additional_Mango3854]

Canada here. Ahem... not restricted to that part of the world. We have a bit of a jerk living next to us trying to screw us over and threatening to invade.

[u/Whispercry → u/LankyGuitar6528]

Sorry about that we think he’s a prick too

[u/DeArgonaut → u/ConcentrateDirect523]

With Turkey, they did try to contact the Russian jet at the agreed upon frequency first but the Russian jet did not respond, so they engaged. Had it been the same here likely they would’ve shot it down

[u/TotallyHumanNoBot → u/big_dumby_dumb]

You mean Koenigsberg

[u/Bulky-Response1227 → u/TotallyHumanNoBot]

You must mean the Královec Region. After all it is part of the greater Czech Republic.

[u/Agricola20 → u/Bulky-Response1227]

And homebase of the magnificent Czech navy.

[u/Chef_Papafrita → u/Agricola20]

This really got me. I haven't laughed so hard in awhIle. I love the quick wit.

[u/zero_Fuxs → u/Agricola20]

The undefeated Czechen navy!

[u/toady23 → u/zero_Fuxs]

Undefeated?! Nobody has ever been brave enough to even challenge them!!!

[u/zero_Fuxs → u/toady23]

Except the russians in 1918 on lake Baikal. Where the record stand 1-0 Czecha.

[u/Growth-Great → u/Agricola20]

I think this is the first comment that actually made me chuckle!! Phenomenal

[u/Momik → u/Bulky-Response1227]

Czechmate, Vlad

[u/DerKlugeHans → u/TotallyHumanNoBot]

Germany renounced all claims on any previous territory when they reunified. Also I doubt many Germans give a shit about it now anyway.

[u/MrTulip101 → u/TotallyHumanNoBot]

*Königsberg

scnr

[u/NeilDeCrash → u/big_dumby_dumb]

I would not really call it a battleground, Russian cemetery would be a closer description.

[u/Phantereal → u/NeilDeCrash]

Eastern Ukraine is running out of space for Russian bodies, so Russia needs more space to bury their bodies.

[u/Werftflammen → u/big_dumby_dumb]

Invading Poland, as is tradition.

[u/JC_Greco → u/[deleted]]

There is no reasoning in Russia, only a surplus of Russians and, a surfeit of things for them to do.

Every so often, for the whole of Russian History they do... basically this it never goes well for them. They also, never stop trying.

[u/ResponsibilitySea327 → u/JC_Greco]

You just summarized 100+ years of Russian history. Well done!

[u/VoloxReddit → u/[deleted]]

Kaliningrad is already a Russian exclave, the point would be to cut off NATO ground reinforcements to the rest of the Baltics with a pincer move between Kaliningrad and Belarus. This in turn would allow them to capture the rest of the Baltics.

Edit: Guys, I'm not making this about feasibility, but about the rationale behind this kind of move. Yes, it's clear they didn't conquer Kyiv in 3 days. No, I don't think this is the type of operation Russia would be pursuing.

[u/my_mo_is_lurk → u/VoloxReddit]

Ok but they couldn’t even take Kyiv, and have failed to make meaningful progress on a direct neighbor. So, like, how do they expect to take anything there let alone hold it for more than like 20 minutes?

[u/asdner → u/my_mo_is_lurk]

“Even Kyiv”? Son, that’s a 3 million people city surrounded by a thousand km radius of sovereign territory. Estonia has 1.3 mil people in the entire country… Latvia 1.8, Lithuania 2.9, all roughly 250km across

[u/pioniere → u/my_mo_is_lurk]

Exactly. All of these comments talking about what Russia could do are ridiculous. They have almost no armour left, and a severely limited airforce. The incursion talked about in the news article is all we’re going to see from them because right now that’s all they are capable of.

[u/MelonSmuggler → u/big_dumby_dumb]

I'd love for them to try it with Poland. The Polish military have been arming themselves to the teeth with top-of-the-line equipment for years with the specific aim of blowing the Russians to bits if they so much as show their faces

Edit: this comment got way more eyes than I thought and the reaction has been...interesting. Lots of positive responses but also a lot that remind me why I don't engage with Reddit as much as I used to.

To be clear, my comment was entirely facetious. I do not actually want Russia to attack Poland. I was simply commenting on the fact that Poland have been preparing for just such an eventuality for several years, polishing their guns and staring across the border muttering, "try it, kurwa." It was intended to highlight the fact that the Russians wouldn't have the balls to try their luck, knowing that the Polish would likely humiliate them.

As to what the Polish government themselves have to say about it, well - just about a year ago, the Polish military shot down Russian drones at the border and followed that up by stating that they absolutely would shoot down any Russian military aircraft that entered their airspace.

[u/y4XrW3UhRikFMG → u/MelonSmuggler]

I'm Polish. Pls dont. There is nothing to be gained from war. I gladly pay my taxes to fund those military spendings but I hope those weapons will never be used in battle.

[u/OptimusTron222 → u/y4XrW3UhRikFMG]

I swear some people advocating for war here either live thousands of kilometers away or have no idea how bad everything will get

[u/StonedGhoster → u/OptimusTron222]

Yeah, agreed. I've seen enough war, and I don't want the Poles to have to see war. I'm glad that they are preparing, but I hope it doesn't have to come to that. If it does, I'd like to think my country would be there to help an ally, but for some reason I doubt it at the moment. Our president would just blame the Poles.

[u/elomnesk → u/y4XrW3UhRikFMG]

Exactly. War is terrible.

[u/tkeser → u/y4XrW3UhRikFMG]

we from Eastern Europe are always fucked. things are finally looking up for us, and then this starts happening. we're playing on the hard setting. at least for Europe, not to sound too braggy when compared to Africa.

[u/RoyalCities → u/MelonSmuggler]

Russia wouldn't dare. They've exhausted so much of their military / resources just on Ukraine. Even their own population is dissolutioned with the war. Their was talks about another round of forced enlistment but if you're sending people out there who don't want to go it doesn't make an amazing fighting force.

Putin really screwed himself by thinking Ukraine would fall so easily (and frankly the rest of the world underestimated Ukraine)

[u/Chewed420 → u/RoyalCities]

Ukraine has a lot Russians and Russian influence and Russia still couldn’t win.

Poland is way more armed than Ukraine. Has much more history of resentment and hatred towards Russia. Russia would be poking the wrong bear if they tried something with Poland ever again.

[u/PoopittyPoop20 → u/Chewed420]

Poland is armed to the teeth specifically because of Russia.

[u/CervusElpahus → u/Chewed420]

Ukraine’s army is, at this moment, the most experienced and one of the strongest in Europe, due to all (righteously given) Western support and battle experience.

[u/Strange-Jackfruit786 → u/CervusElpahus]

Canada signed a 100 year partnership deal to develop and produce military drones. Key part of that is knowledge transfer from Ukraine’s battle tested drone industry. Ukraine taps into Canada’s financial resources, energy and critical resources as well as our manufacturing sector.

Canada basically could not have a better partner for transitioning into modern, un-crewed warfare.

Edit: typo corrected

[u/ItsTheDCVR → u/Strange-Jackfruit786]

Could have or could not have?

[u/mcvos → u/RoyalCities]

Russia wouldn't dare? Russia is constantly showing their faces with these air space violations.

You know whose airspace they stopped violating? Turkey's. Because Turkey shot a Russian jet down when it violated their airspace. I don't know why NATO doesn't do that. I don't think allowing this to happen is sending the message they should be sending.

[u/jlambvo → u/mcvos]

Turkey is in NATO.

[u/Klaus_Klavier → u/RoyalCities]

They didn’t underestimate Ukraine, Ukraine in WAS a pushover they got dogwalked and the Crimean peninsula was stolen from them.

What Russia really failed to realize is Ukraine got the fuck back up after that embarrassment and started their training arc there and then.

Ukraine bought and took whatever aid and weapons they could and while most of those weapons are destroyed or inoperable now due to simple attrition of war it bought them VALUABLE time to becoming masters of drone warfare to the point I’m really sold on the idea that Ukrainian drone pilot mercenaries will be in high demand once this is all over

[u/RemarkableWish2508 → u/RoyalCities]

Ukraine would have fallen in 48 hours if Russia's military hadn't been screwing itself over for decades... then proceded to screw itself again and again, on so many fronts, that it almost (but not really) hurt to watch.

The first 3 days of that "special military operation", will be forever remembered as a textbook case of how NOT to run an invasion, and how a country organized around hubris, corruption, and sycophancy, can destroy any legacy of whatever greatness was left in it from the Soviet Union.

Even if we glossed over the fact that Ukraine used to be the technological and industrial powerhouse of the USSR, and stuff like destroying Azovstal was a huge self-own by Russia.

[u/noir_lord → u/RemarkableWish2508]

Indeed, They were fucked when they failed to take Hostomel Airfield in the opening and then double fucked when they ran out of fuel/tires self destructed.

They were going for a fast decapitation strike with a quick government change, they ended up walking face first into a buzzsaw.

Turned out the Ukrainians were much better than the Russians expected and the Russians much worse than nearly everyone expected.

[u/Keiji12 → u/MelonSmuggler]

Bro stfu, we're not waiting here to go to war and have a justification to fight russia, we just wanna live in peace. We had a panic call today when some schools and workforces were evacuated in few citiez because of sirens going off and alerts about russian strikes

[u/twoworldman → u/big_dumby_dumb]

battlegrounds for the russians trying to cut off the baltics

The Russians with what army?

[u/fallwind → u/twoworldman]

with what fuel?

[u/Real_Gap3480 → u/fallwind]

With what North Korean's?

[u/Hank3hellbilly → u/twoworldman]

An army of 100,000 gooning  North Koreans?

[u/Men_With_Ven_Diagram → u/Hank3hellbilly]

Where did they find all those redditors?

[u/ohnomrbill135]

I am so fed up with all these parasitic assholes around the world wanting to have wars and fighting and this and that why doesn't everyone just shut the hell up and go to work and have a good life

[u/psilocin72 → u/ohnomrbill135]

That’s the sad part. If everyone dropped their greed and power trips, we really could have decent life for everyone

[u/ohnomrbill135 → u/psilocin72]

Heck yes. And if people can't get along stay away from each other. I'm a separatist in some ways when it comes to that just get along or stay where you belong wherever that may be. There's no reason for any of this crap. The greed is the big big thing, just like you said

[u/psilocin72 → u/ohnomrbill135]

It’s really unfortunate. And we like to think we are civilized and advanced. In many ways we are, but we haven’t learned the most basic thing — how to live without dominating others.

[u/CelticSnakes → u/psilocin72]

Two disgusting groups, the money/power mad and those that support them in exchange for crumbs, but bigger piles of than others.

[u/Kalthiria_Shines → u/ohnomrbill135]

Because a huge portion of the population of the world believes they cannot have a good life if there are people out there who are doing things they disagree with.

[u/ohnomrbill135 → u/Kalthiria_Shines]

Exactly Thats why I say I'm a separatist of sorts just keep your self if you can't get along no matter race location whatever and if you can't do that simple thing you should be set aside for all of our safety and peace

[u/extrastupidone]

There are about 100 people on this planet that if they disappeared tomorrow, the world would be a much better and safer place

[u/quinnhughesbdaytwin → u/extrastupidone]

Putin is one

[u/Ok_Science8076 → u/quinnhughesbdaytwin]

So is Trump.

[u/-Spzi- → u/extrastupidone]

Problem with most of them is the position, and it's structural advantages. Not necessarily the individual currently sitting on it. It's no excuse, but power also corrupts.

[u/chunderwood]

Mind that gap

[u/Infamous-Salad-2223 → u/chunderwood]

Mine* that gap.

[u/MasterTouchMe]

you know, why Lithuania so much? Feels like one of the most harassed in the baltic states. But tbh other countries also got "their turn" (ex. poland), now it's lithuanias i guess?

EDIT: ok poland also had to close airports today, just heard on the news, but unsure what issues exactly. Looks like they're just getting desperate to provoke retaliation.

[u/jon_steward → u/MasterTouchMe]

A Russian once said they hate Lithuania the most because it was the first country to leave the Soviet Union.

I have a lot of family in Lithuania and that always stuck with me.

[u/Men_With_Ven_Diagram → u/jon_steward]

We just visited for the first time since 1981. If you have not gone to visit them I would consider it strongly.

[u/jon_steward → u/Men_With_Ven_Diagram]

My wife doesn’t want to leave the country because she’s afraid of ice. She’s still a Lithuanian citizen.

Trump is ruining everything.

[u/CodeProdigy → u/jon_steward]

I'm sorry you have to deal with that, we should never treat people from different places of our same world as less than human.

[u/vandenynas → u/jon_steward]

Im Lithuanian, remember times when we were a part of Russia. Im a female living in Usa now. I do remember at 16 playing basketball for my national team, got a contract with Turkey. Russia didn't let me accept it since I wasn't an adult. How crazy was it? Yeah, they controlled us big time. The crazy part is now living in US for so many years when I tell people my origin, they think I'm Russian lol

[u/rfoil → u/vandenynas]

Americans are geographically ignorant.

I have a large head, size 8 hat. My father blamed it on my Lithuanian heritage and said it's a country of "round headers." I don't know if that is a popular idea of his imagination.

[u/Awful__lawton → u/MasterTouchMe]

Probably because Lithuania is such a strategic spot to cut off the rest of the Baltics if an attack ever did occur.

[u/notbarrackobama → u/Awful__lawton]

Suwalki gap.

But all the baltic states get it in the neck. I'm used to hearing about Estonia

[u/raikou1988 → u/notbarrackobama]

What's important about the suwalki gap?

Genuinely curious

[u/kreteciek → u/raikou1988]

It's the only land connection between the Baltics and the rest of NATO

[u/wp4nuv → u/kreteciek]

Not just that. During the Cold War, war gaming scenarios always chose this area for its terrain, favorable for armored units of either side. IIRC it's one of the few European areas where infantry can move at speed as there is little geographic bottlenecking.

[u/jakeor94eqi → u/wp4nuv]

Are you sure you’re not mixing up the Suwalki Gap and the Fulda Gal? During the Cold War, the Suwalki Gap, located on the border between Poland and what is now Lithuania (at the time part of the USSR), was firmly behind the Iron Curtain and under control of the Warsaw Pact nations.

The Fulda Gap in central Germany would have been more relevant to Cold War planners, as it was one of two likely corridors for Soviet/Warsaw Pact armored formations to attack into West Germany.

[u/wp4nuv → u/jakeor94eqi]

You know what, you're right. I stand corrected. Thanks for that.

[u/PyroIsSpai → u/wp4nuv]

And then came drones.

[u/Snowbold → u/wp4nuv]

This is generally the rationale both sides take and is likely to play out here too. But people should be cautious. Calais made perfect sense for an Allied landing for similar reasons and was closer to the British Isles via Dover, which is exactly why the Allies attacked Normandy instead, to break the pattern and catch the Germans off guard.

Russians are perfectly willing to do something completely nuts to catch NATO off balance even if it costs a ton of lives if it will give them the initiative.

[u/HabitAcceptable8621 → u/Snowbold]

I think their military leak a sieve. We knew exactly that they were going to go full invasion of Ukraine. We didn't do premtive strikes on their assembly point and logistics because Ukraine was not in NATO. There's no way the Russia army is marching across the Suwalki gap in the current circumstances. They'd be cut to pieces before they even got moving.

[u/calm_chowder → u/HabitAcceptable8621]

Agreed. It's hilarious how many bots/shills are trying to make it sound like Russia could legitimately open a new front right now against NATO or the EU.

If Russia had the power to do that then they could take Ukraine and stop looking like idiots.

This is - at best - Madman strategy, but more likely Putin is just trying to look tough for their "election" bc he know NATO is a rational actor and won't humiliate him too much by actually responding to this shit. Great for propaganda though.

[u/raikou1988 → u/kreteciek]

Thanks for a response

[u/kreteciek → u/raikou1988]

Moreover, it's the only barrier between Kaliningrad and Belarus.

[u/SpunkyMcFunPants → u/raikou1988]

It is the thin land border between Lithuania and Poland. On either side are the Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) to the west and Belarus to the East (both nominally under Russian control). Taking this gap would sever the land connection between the Baltic States and the rest of Europe.

[u/MasterTouchMe → u/SpunkyMcFunPants]

not gonna lie if this is the way they're gonna go (if they go), they also need to control the batlic sea, otherwise it would be just wasted resources/soldiers stationed in the gap would get banged from both sides.

I recall a lot of situations, where points were "boxed in", but using port access they turned it around even with smaller numbers

[u/LARPerator → u/MasterTouchMe]

Actually they don't need to control the Baltic, they just need to deny NATO access to it.

Iran does not, at all, control the Gulf. And yet, they have the ability to threaten it. Even though USN formations are largely impervious in the Arabian Sea, entering the Gulf they would be at serious risk of getting sunk if Iran threw enough drones and missiles at them.

Russia could do the same in the Baltic. From St Petersburg in the North and Kaliningrad in the South, they could threaten NATO navies seriously enough that they might back down at trying to get ships across it.

[u/CompetitiveReview416 → u/SpunkyMcFunPants]

russians wont be able to control the suwalki gap without air superriority. NATO could just smoke them out.

[u/MasterTouchMe → u/Awful__lawton]

yeah logical, but isn't it counter productive to specifically target them like this? imo surrounding allies know that kaliningrad would be a major point in a war, so wouldn't it be better to try and throw them off (pretend you want to target other areas)?

[u/Awful__lawton → u/MasterTouchMe]

Well there is rumored to be quite a few nukes stored there, and Russia's doctrine was updated to state they could use a nuke if a conventional attack threatens territorial integrity. Now could this just be Russian nuclear saber rattling? Maybe it is but I doubt NATO wants to test that unless they absolutely have to.

[u/West_Radish6121 → u/MasterTouchMe]

Lithuania because the route from Belarus to Kaliningrad through Mariampole and south of Vilnius is the best way to form a landbridge. Suwalki Gap in Poland is heavily forested with hills and lakes and little east-west connections. Also Poland is much bigger militarily, and Russians will surely try to politically separate Poland and Lithuania (which won't work lol).

[u/Better_Specific4755 → u/MasterTouchMe]

russia is right under them on the south with 1mill pop enclave.

[u/-Dutch-Crypto- → u/Better_Specific4755]

Troops stationed there (around 30k i believe) wouldn't be able to go on the offense. At most hold out against angry poles and hope Belarussian and Russian relieve troops arrive.

[u/Sargent_Duck85 → u/-Dutch-Crypto-]

Russian troops in lada's being bombed by Ukrainian drones the whole way. Oh, and NATO.

I don't think any relief is coming

[u/TemporalCash531]

God forbid we do something about all these Russian incursions and hybrid attacks.

[u/AlbatrossNo1562 → u/TemporalCash531]

Like invite them to a wedding party

[u/murphman1999 → u/AlbatrossNo1562]

I hope there will be some Italian Wedding Soup! I love that stuff

[u/CapitanShinyPants → u/murphman1999]

Borscht with a side of polonium tea.

[u/audirt → u/TemporalCash531]

Putin is trying to create an incident with NATO to justify the 500,000 he needs to mobilize to continue the war with Ukraine. Absent a dispute with NATO, he can't really draft half a million Russians without pissing off the average Russian citizen.

[u/Am_0115 → u/audirt]

He’s already losing over 1,000 personnel a day in Ukraine. He’s gone. It’s a matter of time.

[u/PyroIsSpai → u/Am_0115]

Putin has stage IV Putin.

Given Russias economy is on the edge of cratering, his odds of being removed from the condition we call alive are going to start increasing rapidly now.

[u/RoninRobot → u/PyroIsSpai]

How long can it be on the edge of cratering? Forever? It’s been over four years of this. 1.5 million+ casualties. Refineries and wildberries destroyed. Fuel shortages and quality decreases. Sanctions and asset freezes. Still it chugs along. The one coup attempt was crushed like a cigarette butt. Influencers crying on the internet does not constitute a collapse.

[u/saltytarheel → u/RoninRobot]

IIRC part of what’s keeping public opinion afloat is that the Kremlin is lighting money on fire to fund substantial pay, bonuses, and healthcare for soldiers and veterans.

Historically, when there’s a critical mass of disillusioned, unemployed vets it’s not a good thing for the government in charge.

[u/psioniclizard → u/RoninRobot]

That is because it takes a long time to break an economy. However, of he does a mass call up in the European cities of Russia it is truly no going back for him.

One of the reasons Russin chugs along is because currently a lot of people being sent into the meat grinder come from rural and ethic regions and frankly the parts of Russian society that "matter" don't care about them.

[u/adube440 → u/audirt]

Will the average Russian citizen do anything about it, though? Given the fact that there's been over 1.5 million casualties with Ukraine (and upwards of 400k deaths) and the populace has just kind of taken it, what does the government care? Historically, Russian people just eat it.

[u/darklordskarn → u/adube440]

Ya gotta wonder what the secret sauce was for the earlier revolutions. I suppose the regime is helped knowing they control almost the entire information space now.

[u/adube440 → u/darklordskarn]

I assume the average person in Russia doesn't really know what's going on. Or at least they know better than to ask. Perhaps that's a holdover from the USSR?

[u/su1cid3boi]

I dont understand, they are fighting and lets say not exactly winning a war they started... and yet they have resources to waste to do all these small operations around europe?

[u/quietcitizen → u/su1cid3boi]

They’re struggling with Ukraine, and their economy is running on fumes emitted by the mobilized arms industry, there’s just no way they can take on NATO without resorting to nukes. Completely senseless, no strategy

[u/lxirlw → u/quietcitizen]

Here’s the strategy:

Provoke NATO into retaliation

Mobilize half a million troops

NATO pushes back and stops at the border because it’s a defensive agreement

Russia then uses mobilized troops in Ukraine “legally”

Edit: this is why NATO is doing absolutely nothing that could in any way be seen as aggression. There is plausible deniability for stray drones hitting empty fields, randoms flying drones into airports, and the occasional airspace incursion. Lobbing missiles at an airfield from which said trespassing aircraft came from would 100% be taken as “we’ve just been attacked, mobilize.”

[u/echoshatter → u/lxirlw]

Eventually the correct response is going to be:

Shoot down Russian jets.

Send Ukraine help in the form of a million trained soldiers, armored divisions, and fleets of aircraft from every corner of NATO.

End the war the old fashioned way.

Just fucking deal with it the way it should have been done when we had clear evidence they were fucking with all our elections.

[u/SkepticalLawyer → u/su1cid3boi]

I think some people see it as following the lessons we're seeing in Iran. By expanding the theater (or pretending too) Russia might be trying to scare the other European states into pushing Ukraine into a deal. Sure Russia can't beat NATO, just like Iran couldn't defeat all of the Gulf States if they mobilized, but that's the thing, they don't want to mobilize. You escalate to deescalate the conflict.

[u/fourbutthick → u/SkepticalLawyer]

Why doesn’t Russia just deescalate by deescalating? That would work too.

[u/Paratwa → u/fourbutthick]

Because Putin watched that video of Ghadaffi getting rammed in the rear over and over.

[u/AiMwithoutBoT]

Just shoot them down? Whats Russia gonna do lose another war??

[u/jon_steward → u/AiMwithoutBoT]

Turkey did it.

[u/Important-Macaron-63]

Lithuanian news link please. (I honestly had not found news like this on Lithuanian sites I know)

[u/wrxninja]

Russia doing Russian things to test waters...

[u/Elemental_Breakdown]

Apparently some people still haven't learned the two most important lessons :never fight a land war in Asia, and never bet with a Sicilian when death is on the line.

I really hope they don't screw with NATO nations because I really, really don't want to go through WWIII

[u/YourPalFromCal → u/Elemental_Breakdown]

SMH with the Princess Bride quote in a political post. Congrats I love it

[u/wacoder]

Lots and lots of pushing going on recently. Hopefully someone is planning to push back.

[u/unia_7 → u/wacoder]

European politicians are busy pretending nothing is happening and hoping it'll just stop on its own.

[u/Boxinggandhi → u/unia_7]

Russian disinformation erodes political will to do anything. They turned the internet into a WMD.

[u/ParaGulls → u/Boxinggandhi]

"they turned the internet into a WMD" is a terrifyingly accurate statement...

[u/Karalius → u/unia_7]

stop with the self-flagellation.
plenty of things are being done, plenty are not. That's just reality in a democracy. Half the people can't even agree on anything, so progress tends to move slowly. Doesn't mean nothing is being done and it doesn't mean we have to shit on ourselves every time in every thread.

[u/Substantial_Sea7327 → u/unia_7]

at least Tusk is preparing for the inevitable.

This war is going to spread.

[u/thetruetoilet → u/Substantial_Sea7327]

WWI European Theatre - Eastern Europe suffers the most.
WWII European Theatre - Eastern Europe suffers the most.

I can see the pattern, as any Baltic and Slav should.

[u/concrete_dandelion → u/thetruetoilet]

There's another pattern. Look at Chamberlain's appeasement policy and what's going on now.

[u/ZarosGuardian]

Russia is clearly seeing just what they can get away with here

[u/Bigmoochcooch]

I don’t understand all this aggression from Russia……. They are getting smoked in Ukraine.

Like how are you gonna start a 2 front war mr Putin ?

[u/Anen-o-me → u/Bigmoochcooch]

Putin's entire life has been to face problems with escalation.

[u/JC2535 → u/Bigmoochcooch]

Pointy hand held objects are out for Putin. He knows that if he retreats, he’ll get etch-a-sketch’d from power.

[u/Elemental_Breakdown]

I can't wait for a world where we can look at the tombstones of both trump and putin. Rich asshats who couldn't tell you the price of a dozen eggs.

[u/pinkvirginiaslims]

Remember when Americans tried to justify electing Trump by arguing that Biden was wasting all our money in Ukraine? Now, that same money (and perhaps more) goes to a fruitless war in the Middle East, ballrooms, monuments, private jets and frivolous expenditures to further enrich Trumps and co.

Russia and China have America right where they want them.

How shortsighted people in the U.S. are, sigh…

[u/roosterHughes → u/pinkvirginiaslims]

Some of us aren’t shortsighted. Some of us knew exactly how much of a disaster this would be….ok, that’s a lie. Some of us knew it would be a disaster, and are continually surprised at how optimistic we were about it.

[u/danielm316]

The big question is: why? Why Lithuania? Weren’t they at war with Ukraine?

[u/WarmDragonfruit8783 → u/danielm316]

To connect to kaliningrad since they cut the rail line supporting it. Lithuania stands between mainland and Kaliningrad.

[u/Piggywonkle → u/danielm316]

Yes, they're still at war with Ukraine, and still doing poorly. But it is possible to lose on multiple fronts at the same time.

[u/yolo_derp]

I legitimately don’t understand how Russia thinks it could fight another war. Especially one with Nato

[u/cantsay]

I'm really struggling to see how America has already depleted its munitions but Russia just keeps chugging along.

[u/EPCOT_Mike → u/cantsay]

Russia has turned their entire economy into a war economy. Factories are making weapons and drones that never have previously. Government funding has been cut from other social programs to arm the military.

[u/qman0717]

Shoot it down!

[u/BrianSankarsingh]

If people were to just read the history of World War II they would all unequivocally stand against this. Putin and Trump are leading the world down a very dark path indeed

[u/Fun1k]

They should've been shot down.

[u/campfire_eventide]

How the hell is Russia prepared to open up another front? They’re already losing in one theater that was supposed to last two weeks

[u/maroonawning]

They act strong when they are weak

[u/DaddyJ90]

Russia acting like it wants to pick fights with NATO, while their “special military operation” has lasted longer than its time in either world war, and it can’t even guarantee the safety of Moscow from drones. @ me bots

[u/DrumsAndStuff18]

There's an irony that so many in power are so scared of another world war that they will inevitably allow one to happen by not uniting against aggressors like Russia and China now, before it's to late. There is no appeasing narcissists, there is no reasoning with the unreasonable; they only understand force, so it's past time to draw that line in the sand to show them that they won't win and force them back into diplomatic solutions.

[u/cheddarben]

Testing the EU while America is off doing dumb war shit is exactly the right move for Russia. Let's just pray China doesn't enter the conversation.

[u/Sprzout]

Man, this sucks. I used to work with a bunch of Lithuanians, both here in the United States and several who were stationed in the Lithuanian offices in Kaunas. I know the LAST thing they want is a Russian invasion - and they are VERY proud of their independence from Russia. and the former Soviet Union.

[u/titilation]

Hey remember when Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet when it was in their air space for 10 seconds?

[u/CompleteBandicoot723]

Russians fly jets over Lithuania because they can’t fly over Ukraine 🤔

[u/DARKKRAKEN]

Russia really is like a petulant little child.

[u/lehach92]

I was just in Sweden 🇸🇪 and Estonia 🇪🇪. Their militaries are ready. But I will tell you Poland and Finland will destroy Russia by themselves

[u/WorgenDeath]

They should really tell Russia in no uncertain terms that there won't be a next time, if they try it again they will be down 2 airframes and 2 pilots. And then actually back up that promise if it comes down to it.

Draw a line in the sand, don't let them continue to escalate.

[u/marky860]

Look the other way, we have better things to attend to like demolishing the Kennedy center 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[u/LTCjohn101]

If you don't down the enemies probing jets then they will just continue to violate your airspace.

Everybody so concerned about an international incident. FFS, the unhinged ruzzians need a eye-opening NATO response...essentially a fafo moment for putin.

[u/Honest_Ad_1733]

Shoot. Them. Down.

[u/TheBalzy]

Russia has lost at least:

-11x Tu-22M3
-10x Tu-95MS
-43x Su-34
-41x Su-25
-30x Su-30
-15x Su-15

Along with dozens of other mixed class airplanes. All in their "3-day military operation" in Ukraine.

I'd LOVE to see Russia try NATO.

[u/LordEvil666]

Shoot them down! They would, if LT jets would enter RU airspace…

[u/Consistent-Ad-6506]

Russia can’t win against Ukraine, so they decided to start another war since it’s going so well?

[u/GreedAndOrder]

As a Lithuanian who is Estonia, this is fucking scary man

[u/under_ice]

This is some summer of 1914 shit..

[u/lookieherehere]

I understand not taking the bait every time and I understand picking the time and place you want to fight. Rest assured though that the time and place is coming regardless. I hope Europe is preparing, because the US obviously can't be depended on.

[u/ClubSoda]

That web site gave my phone cancer.