Russia should begin intercepting Ukrainian drones heading toward its territory while they are still over the Baltic states, according to Andrey Kolesnik, a member of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee. He said Russia must put its own security first.

Kolesnik believes Ukraine could use the Baltic states as a corridor for the safe passage of drones or even launch UAVs directly from their territory. He said drones coming from Estonia frequently head toward Russia’s Leningrad Region, while Lithuania and Latvia could allow them to pass through their airspace in an effort to obscure their flight paths.

The lawmaker warned that continued support by the Baltic states for the transit of Ukrainian drones could have negative consequences for those countries. He specifically pointed to Latvia’s plans to build a drone manufacturing facility jointly with Britain, saying the project would also put the country in a risk zone.

At the same time, Kolesnik stressed that Russian politicians are not calling for the destruction of the Baltic states, despite statements made by NATO representatives regarding Russia.