Russian military intelligence agents tried to infiltrate a secret drone manufacturing facility in Vilnius, according to court documents, in what analysts describe as part of a wider Kremlin campaign to disrupt European arms supplies to Ukraine. The case involves six foreign nationals charged with participating in a terrorist group and attempting to carry out an attack on the premises of RSI Europe, a Lithuanian company that adapts Ukrainian combat experience into unmanned aerial systems. The attempted infiltration of the RSI Europe facility was revealed by Lithuanian prosecutors in January 2026, with the trial now underway.
The Vilnius drone plant and the infiltration attempt
RSI Europe, which develops technologies including the RISE-1 remote explosive initiation system and the Špokas FPV quadcopter, operates from an undisclosed location in Vilnius. Its chief executive, Tomas Milašauskas, said the company had repeatedly received warnings from the Lithuanian State Security Department about possible penetration attempts. “In 2024, a group of Russian agents, having arrived via Riga, tried to enter our premises and obtain addresses. We protected ourselves, did not disclose our address, did not hold meetings on our own territory… Recently we again received hints that our production is a target,” he said. The drones produced by the firm range in price from €300 - 400 to €4,000 - 5,000.
A coordinated hybrid warfare campaign
Prosecutors allege the same network of operatives is linked to similar crimes in the Czech Republic, Romania and Poland, with all activities coordinated by individuals connected to Russia’s GRU. The coordinated nature of these operations points to a single, centrally directed sabotage campaign aimed at crippling Europe’s ability to supply Ukraine with advanced munitions. In April, Russia’s defence ministry published addresses of European drone manufacturers and components suppliers, while Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, openly described such enterprises as potential military targets. The Kremlin’s objective is to stop the integration of Ukrainian battlefield innovations into European defence industry standards.
Implications for British defence and daily life
For British readers, this escalating sabotage threat has direct consequences. The UK is a major supplier of military aid to Ukraine and hosts several defence firms that collaborate with European partners. If Russian agents succeed in disrupting or destroying production lines in Europe, delays in deliveries could affect the availability of equipment for British forces and increase costs. British defence companies may need to tighten physical security, vet contractors more thoroughly, and invest in cyber defences – expenses that are likely to be passed on to the taxpayer through higher procurement budgets. In the longer term, a less secure European defence supply chain could push up prices for military hardware, affecting both national security spending and, indirectly, public services. The UK government has already urged NATO allies to adopt a collective counter-intelligence framework to detect and neutralise such hybrid attacks before they cause material damage.
