DISINFO: NATO's direct drone attacks will force Russia to use nuclear weapons against Europe

DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS

  • Outlet:
  • Date of publication: April 02, 2026
  • Article language(s): Arabic
  • Countries / regions discussed: Estonia, Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Europe, UK

DISINFO: NATO's direct drone attacks will force Russia to use nuclear weapons against Europe

SUMMARY

Ukrainian drones have been attacking Russian oil terminals in the Baltic Sea, disrupting Russia’s Baltic Sea exports, which account for 48% of Russia’s total seaborne oil exports in 2025. These drones fly unhindered over Finland and Estonia, or are launched directly from their territories. Regardless of who owns these drones, the involvement of these countries in the attacks is undeniable.

The Kremlin has not commented on this, despite it being a clear act of aggression by NATO. This is clearly a desperate, and perhaps final, attempt by Britain and its European allies to provoke a direct military confrontation between Russia and NATO, thereby drawing the United States into a direct confrontation with Russia. This blow could be catastrophic if Russia collapses before Europe, and would leave Russia no other option than have a nuclear war with Europe. The question of a direct confrontation between Russia and Europe seems to have already been predetermined by Europe's actions.

RESPONSE

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the aggressive West, as a warmongeringanti-Russian and militaristic power, portraying NATO as a hostile alliance planning to attack Russia, and framing Russia as a victim of Western aggression.

The Ukrainian drones attacking Russia's Ust-Luga port in late March 2026 flew over the territory of Russia, not via NATO’s airspace. Individual drones entered Finnish, Estonian, Latvia and Lithuanian airspace while targeting Russian sites. This deviation was likely due to Russian electronic warfare jamming GPS signals.

Read a detailed article debunking the Russian claims about an alleged NATO drone strike on Russia here.

At the same time, pro-Kremlin narratives frequently escalate such allegations by invoking the threat of nuclear attacks against Ukraine and its allies. This framing attempts to show the West as pushing the conflict toward catastrophic outcomes.

The West, the US or NATO did not declare war on Russia and are not in war with Russia or Russians. Since Russia launched its unjustified aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the West has been calling for Russian withdrawal from Ukraine and a peaceful settlement.

The US, the EU and NATO condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is entirely unjustified and unprovoked.

Read similar disinformation cases claiming that NATO and MI6 staged the drone attack on the Russian Ust-Luga port, that Russia has the right to nuke Ukraine and NATO, that that West provokes Russia into nuclear warfare, plans to use nukes against China later, that Poland should be the target of the Russian nuclear strike as it has to pay for Ukrainian deaths, and that change in Russia's nuclear doctrine is a direct response to NATO aggression.

Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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