Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Friday that there had been no reports of provocations in Lithuania as Russia celebrates Victory Day.
“It looks like the police and the State Security Department (VSD) have done their job. At least for now, we have no information about any disturbances or provocations, and I hope it stays that way,” he told reporters.
The VSD warned on Wednesday of a heightened risk of sabotage, provocations and “information attacks” against Lithuania by Russian intelligence ahead of Victory Day.
The intelligence agency said that Russian officials and “propagandists” had intensified their “radical rhetoric” targeting Lithuania and the other two Baltic states.
“The VSD has been monitoring the situation for several weeks, and it seems the greater risk of provocations doesn’t come from those who are still inclined to celebrate May 9 as victory in what they call the Great Patriotic War, but from those who strongly dislike this and could cause some scuffles,” Paluckas said.
The end of World War Two is commemorated on May 8 in Western Europe and on May 9 in Russia.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two and Russian President Vladimir Putin was expected to host several dozen world leaders at a Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico were the only European leaders to attend the May 9 parade in the Russian capital, despite strong discouragement from Brussels.
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