Renowned chess master Garry Kasparov has been added to the international wanted list by the Kremlin following his alert that Vladimir Putin is planning an incursion into the Baltic states, potentially sparking conflict between Russian and British military forces.
Kasparov, a vocal critic of Putin now living in exile, has been accused in absentia of “justifying terrorism” with what he termed as “politically-motivated” charges.
The 63-year-old Kasparov claimed that Putin is facing a stalemate in the Ukraine conflict and suggested that the Russian leader may attempt to secure a minor victory over NATO in the Baltic region to offset his setbacks in Ukraine.
Speculating on Putin’s potential actions, Kasparov highlighted the possibility of Russian forces moving into limited areas in Estonia and Latvia, both of which are NATO members.
In a scenario where Putin targets the Estonian city of Narva, Kasparov warned that British troops stationed in Estonia could find themselves in a combat situation defending the country against Russian forces before any NATO decision on collective defense is made.
Kasparov emphasized the importance for Putin, as a dictator, to achieve some form of success to maintain his position of power, suggesting that capturing a small territory in the Baltics could serve as a symbolic victory.
Additionally, a military Telegram channel named Volya has raised alarms, stating that Putin’s plans to invade the Baltic states have progressed, aiming not to provoke a direct war with NATO but to create internal divisions within the alliance by invading Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
Sources from the channel also revealed that Putin is amassing a large number of advanced fiber-optic drones for a potential future assault on NATO forces.
UK troops currently stationed in Estonia are part of Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s enhanced land forces presence in the region.