Russia could attack by 2028: Latvia names most dangerous period for the Baltics
Russia may attempt to launch an attack on one of the Baltic states by the end of 2028, capitalizing on its advantage in drone production and the slow pace of rearmament among European armies.
According to Censor.NET, the Financial Times reports on this. This assessment was made by General Kaspars Pudans, Commander of the Latvian Armed Forces.
The Kremlin may take advantage of a "window of opportunity"
According to the Latvian general, Russia's main advantage right now is not its technology, but its ability to produce drones quickly and on a large scale.
"Their advantage lies in the scalability of drones. They are capable of quickly replenishing supplies and operating in large numbers on a large scale," Pudans noted.
He emphasized that most European military modernization programs will not begin to yield tangible results until after 2028–2029. That is why, in his view, the Kremlin may view the coming years as a favorable period for potential aggressive actions.
"If I were in the Kremlin, I would say that if we are going to do anything, we must do it by the end of 2028," the general said.
The threat may increase once the war in Ukraine ends
Pudans believes that Russia currently lacks the resources for a large-scale invasion of NATO countries, as a significant portion of its forces are engaged in the war against Ukraine.
At the same time, once active hostilities have ended, Moscow could quickly rebuild its military capabilities and pose new threats to neighboring countries.
"We live under the assumption that an attack of some kind could happen as early as tonight," the commander of the Latvian Army emphasized.
There are concerns in the region that the situation could unfold sooner than expected
The Financial Times article also notes that some officials from NATO’s eastern flank do not rule out the possibility that Russia may attempt to test the Alliance’s readiness sooner than military analysts predict.
A representative of the region’s defense sector suggested that the Kremlin might try to act before European countries significantly increase their defense capabilities and security spending.
