Lithuanian authorities have announced they disrupted an international plot to kill two activists, according to reporting by ABC News.
Officials in the Baltic nation said the alleged conspiracy targeted the two individuals, though further details about the identities of the activists or the organizations they represent were not immediately made public by authorities.
Lithuania, which borders Russia, Belarus, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, has in recent years positioned itself as a refuge for dissidents and activists from neighboring authoritarian states. The country has been a vocal supporter of Ukrainian sovereignty since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and has also provided shelter to Belarusian opposition figures following the crackdown on protests against President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020.
The foiling of alleged assassination plots against exiles and dissidents on European soil has become an increasingly prominent security concern across the continent. Several European governments have accused Russian and Belarusian intelligence services of conducting or sponsoring operations against regime critics living abroad - accusations both Moscow and Minsk have routinely denied.
Lithuanian authorities did not immediately specify which foreign actors, if any, were believed to be behind the alleged plot, nor did they confirm whether any arrests had been made in connection with the case.
The announcement comes amid heightened security awareness across the Baltic states, all of which are NATO members and have significantly increased defense spending and cooperation with alliance partners in recent years, citing concerns about regional instability.
ABC News, which reported the Lithuanian government's statement, did not provide additional details about the nature of the alleged plot, the methods that were to be used, or the nationalities of those involved.
Lithuanian authorities are expected to release further information as the investigation progresses.
