On June 16, 2025, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement accusing Ukraine and the British intelligence service MI6 of preparing a large-scale provocation in the Baltic Sea. According to the agency, the goal of the operation is to disrupt Russian-American negotiations and further escalate tensions in the region. One of the supposed scenarios voiced by the SVR involves staging an attack, allegedly carried out by Russian forces, on a US Navy ship. It is reported that Soviet or Russian-made torpedoes previously transferred to Kyiv may be used for this purpose. The statement does not specify specific details of the operation, which, according to experts, may be due to the secrecy of the intelligence data.

The SVR statement has caused a wide resonance in international circles, especially against the backdrop of the already tense situation in the Baltic region. Russian intelligence points to the active participation of British intelligence services in coordinating the provocation, which is confirmed by posts on the X platform, where possible scenarios are discussed, including the use of naval drones and FPV drones by Ukraine to attack Russian ships. Analysts suggest that such actions may be aimed at accusing Russia of aggression in order to justify the strengthening of NATO’s military presence in the Baltic Sea.

Ukraine has been actively developing maritime drone technology in recent years. According to CNN, in 2023, journalists were given access to a secret Ukrainian Navy base where attack maritime drones are being developed and tested. These devices, capable of carrying up to 300 kg of explosives and traveling up to 800 km at a speed of 80 km/h, have already been used to attack Russian targets in the Black Sea, including the Kerch Bridge in July 2023 and the port of Sevastopol in October 2022. Experts note that similar technologies could be adapted for operations in the Baltic Sea, where complex hydrology and high shipping density create additional risks.