Lithuanian authorities are on high alert after a massive data leak involving more than 600,000 entries from national registers, which the government says is the work of a foreign country.
The leak targeted real estate and legal entity registries, accessed using stolen login credentials of authorized institutions. The head of the State Enterprise Centre of Registers, Adrijus Jusas, resigned on Monday.
Authorities have implemented additional cybersecurity measures, blocking suspected data users and requiring credential updates. While no nation was officially named, opposition politician Laurynas Kasčiūnas claimed on social media the theft was a Russian intelligence operation. He offered no evidence but warned that addresses of intelligence officers, military personnel, and diplomats may have been exposed, enabling potential surveillance or blackmail.
Lithuania is a key target of Russia's hybrid war against Europe, which includes sabotage, arson, influence operations, and cyberattacks. The country has also faced a surge in drone sightings. Last Wednesday, residents of Vilnius were told to take cover due to drone activity near the Belarus border.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said, "This is the new reality of what the Baltic states face. We need to adapt because the possibility of repeated similar scenarios is very high."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is traveling to Vilnius tomorrow to meet Baltic leaders and coordinate a response to the escalating drone incursions.