The Lithuanian State Security Service (VSD) said it had uncovered a covert operation by Russian and Belarusian intelligence services aimed at inciting violence against Belarusian refugees living in Lithuania.
The plan, which includes fake provocations and disinformation campaigns, was announced in a statement by VSD and carried by the Lithuanian public service broadcaster (LRT).
According to Lithuanian authorities, foreign intelligence services are organizing increasingly dangerous incidents targeting the Belarusian diaspora in Lithuania, which has numbered more than 57.000 people as of the beginning of 2025.
Authorities say foreign agents were trying to simulate conflicts between so-called "Litvynists" Belarusians – followers of an ideology that links Belarusian identity to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – and fictional Lithuanian nationalist groups.
"The organizers are trying to fake clashes between opposing forces – Belarusians who advocate Litvinist ideas and so-called Lithuanian groups who allegedly oppose them," the VSD said.
Recent provocations
Officials stressed that no actual extremist group from Lithuania has been identified and that they believe the narrative is being manipulated in Belarusian and Russian propaganda to cause distrust and division.
Recent provocations include fake video messages allegedly from Belarusian soldiers, anti-Belarusian graffiti, threats against Lithuanian lawmakers and refugees in Vilnius, and social media campaigns spreading pseudo-historical claims about the region's past.
The VSD warned residents not to fall for such provocations, noting that "participation in these activities may lead to administrative or criminal liability."
Meanwhile, surveillance of Belarusian citizens living in Lithuania is increasing. Many face increasingly stringent visa checks, difficulties in extending residence permits, and even deportation due to past ties to Belarusian state institutions or the military.
Lithuanian media are calling the disinformation campaign "Litvinism." Authorities emphasize that the real danger lies not in the ideology itself, but in its exploitation to destabilize communities.
In recognition of its reporting on this issue, the Lithuanian Ministry for National Minorities recently presented an award to the Belarusian editorial office of Radio Free Europe for an investigative article that shed light on the actors behind this campaign and its broader geopolitical implications.
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