Russia Could Occupy the Baltics in 90 Days—Without Sending in a Single Soldier

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A new war game by the Baltic Defense Initiative, a Lithuanian think tank, suggests that Russia could drive the Baltic states to capitulate merely by bombarding them with missiles and drones.

Could Russia really invade and conquer the Baltic states before NATO could arrive to support them?

A new analysis by a Baltic think tank suggests that the answer is an overwhelming yes. Moreover, Russian forces would be able to do so in only around 90 days—and potentially without any Russian troops actually crossing the border. 

How Russia Could Pound the Baltic into Submission

Most “war games” involving the Baltic states and Russia are predicated on a conventional land conflict. It is assumed that the Russian Army will conduct a large-scale invasion of the three Baltic states from Russia proper, Belarus, and the Russian exclave at Kaliningrad along the Baltic Sea—quickly overwhelming the small nations’ defenses before NATO can react, and presenting their seizure to the rest of the alliance as a fait accompli. If Russia can complete its occupation before the rest of Europe could mobilize forces to stop it, the other NATO nations would need to make the choice between accepting the loss of the Baltic states and starting a major land war in Europe—with potentially catastrophic consequences.

However, the Baltic Defense Initiative (BDI), a Lithuanian think tank, envisions an alternative scenario by which the........

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