Lithuania has approved legislation expanding the powers of its intelligence services, allowing agents to detain and search suspected individuals, as well as conduct surveillance, without a court order.
The new law, set to take effect on February 1, comes amid escalating rhetoric in European NATO countries about an alleged threat from Russia, which Moscow refutes.
Adopted by the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday, the revised Intelligence Law allows security services not only to gather information but also to take measures against what they perceive as external risks, dangers, and threats “arising from abroad that may be significant to state sovereignty.”
According to the new law, intelligence officers will be able to conduct surveillance of such individuals and their correspondence without a court warrant, but must apply to a court within 24 hours for authorization to continue.
The new powers also allow spooks to covertly collect biometric data such as fingerprints, voice samples, and scent, as well as to acquire explosive substances and devices and standard-issue firearms. Individuals can also be detained and their persons and property searched based on suspicion alone.
In 2024, Lithuania’s Migration Department designated 598 Belarusian and 125 Russian citizens as threats based on assessments that included information from the State Security Department.
Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors, Latvia and Estonia, have adopted an aggressive posture towards Moscow, particularly since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, while pushing for a stronger NATO posture on their borders.
Earlier this year, European NATO members agreed to boost military spending to 5% of GDP, with Lithuania recently approving a record military budget of €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion) for 2026 – about 5.38% of GDP. They have also been reviving or expanding conscription, citing what they describe as the risk of attack.
The Kremlin has dismissed allegations of hostile intent toward Western nations as “nonsense” and fearmongering, while condemning what it calls the West’s “reckless militarization.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said that European NATO members are pursuing “hostile” policies that keep the risk of a direct war with Russia high, even as the US signals a more balanced approach toward Moscow.