Lithuanian PM suggests Allies ask Ukraine to strike more Russian data centres

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius believes that Ukraine's allies should ask President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to strike more data centres in Russia.

Source: Sinkevičius quoted by LRT, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Sinkevičius's comment came in response to a question about what Lithuania, Poland and other allies should do to protect their elections from foreign interference.

"I think we should ask Mr Zelenskyy to strike more data centres in Russia, and that might help," he said.

According to Sinkevičius, strategies and plans are necessary, but "they are not what deters Russia".

"The defence industry of our countries still lags behind actual production needs, so we need to look for ways to stimulate it – through more active mutual cooperation, learning from Ukraine's experience, and the competencies it has acquired. The more we do together – from exchanging information, joint procurement, and joint production to joint exercises – the safer we will be," the Lithuanian prime minister said.

Sinkevičius stated that NATO remains the key pillar of transatlantic security. He said a greater European focus on its own security and a stronger commitment to shared responsibility would make the Alliance more balanced and resilient.

He said that Lithuania's priorities are air defence, including counter-drone capabilities, the protection of critical infrastructure on land and in the Baltic Sea, more effective combat against hybrid threats and military mobility. He added that all these areas are also important for NATO's overall security.

Background:

• It was reported that three consecutive Ukrainian drone attacks on data centres operated by Russian technology company Yandex have caused disruptions to more than 80 of its digital platforms and third-party but related services, such as banking apps and ride-hailing services.
• According to media reports, Yandex will need at least six months to replace the damaged infrastructure of the three data centres that were subjected to drone attacks between 8 and 11 October.

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