"War Is Coming": The Baltic States Are Preparing For Defense
- 3.10.2026, 10:12
The first 72 hours, in particular, could be critical for holding back Russian forces until reinforcements arrive.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are preparing for a possible Russian attack, while simultaneously strengthening their own defense capabilities and testing scenarios in which U.S. assistance might be limited or not provided at all.
This is reported by The Atlantic.
Isaac Stanley-Becker, a journalist for , spent a month in the Baltic states observing military exercises and speaking with political and military leaders.
One such exercise was a large-scale simulation in the Lithuanian village of Bezdonis. During the exercise, members of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union practiced attacking the positions of a simulated Russian enemy, evacuating the wounded, transmitting intelligence, and other wartime operations.
General Raimundas Vaikšnoras, Commander-in-Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, explained that the country aims to demonstrate its readiness to resist to a potential adversary.
“The enemy must know that if it sets even a single foot on our territory, we will strike back,” he noted.
It is noted that even a limited Russian invasion could create a serious crisis if NATO is unable to promptly fulfill its obligations under Article 5.
When asked if he was confident that U.S. President Donald Trump was prepared to defend the Baltic states, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg replied, “We base our security on that.”
The Baltic states are already building up their defenses to offer resistance from the very first hours of a potential conflict.
Lithuania is fortifying its border with Belarus with anti-tank trenches and concrete barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.” There are also plans for a network of infrared cameras and acoustic sensors, the data from which can be analyzed using artificial intelligence.
At the same time, the armies of the three countries are actively expanding their use of drones, drawing in particular on Ukraine’s experience.
According to a scenario described in an article in *The Atlantic*, in the event of a Russian attack, the first 72 hours could be critical for holding back Russian forces until reinforcements arrive.
The Baltic states do not possess sufficient military strength to wage a protracted war of attrition without allied support, so they are striving to make the enemy’s advance as difficult as possible.
At the same time, Lithuania is already conducting exercises designed for a scenario in which U.S. assistance is delayed or fails to arrive.
European allies are strengthening their presence in the region, but, as the author notes, it will be difficult to replace certain U.S. capabilities, particularly satellite reconnaissance and long-range weapons.
At the end of the article, Stanley-Becker notes that the Baltic countries are not giving up on relying on the U.S., but at the same time are preparing to act independently.
“They believe that a war with Russia is approaching. They would prefer to have American support when it begins. But they will fight even without the United States, if necessary,” the journalist writes.