 Russia focused on Baltic to take fight to NATO, Lithuania warns. Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation with NATO, while it steps up its campaign in Ukraine, an intelligence report has disclosed, according to the National Media Outlet. As a result of lessons learned from the bloody fighting with its neighbour, Moscow has an army that has improved its combat effectiveness, Lithuania's intelligence agencies reported. Russia is planning a war with NATO while it continues its campaign against Ukraine, where it is learning valuable tactical lessons, especially in the use of drones, the report said. The National says that the Baltic Sea region was the key focus for the Kremlin's potential attack on the Alliance, where it has increased its air and naval resources, according to Lithuania's declassified 2024 National Threat Assessment. This included missile cruisers, equipped with the Kaliberkruz missile near St. Petersburg, and its force of Tupolev Tu-22 backfire heavy bombers, conducting five sorties over the Baltic Sea last year in 2022. Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation with NATO, including in the Baltic Sea region, and is gradually expanding its military capability westward. The report said there is also a strong likelihood that President Vladimir Putin will use his near-guaranteed victory in next week's Russian presidential election, starting on Friday as a platform to make unpopular decisions. This could well include the imposition of greater mobilisation for Russian men to bolster the army's ranks, which could allow the Kremlin to address some potential constraints on its long-term war effort, the Institute for the Study of War said. The Washington think tank also reported that Russian military thinkers were now openly discussing how Russia can go to war against NATO. In the near future, it quoted an article in the Russian Ministry of Defense journal, Military Thought, that suggested the war in Ukraine could escalate into a large-scale war in Europe. The Russian colonel author argued that peace in Ukraine would not lead to the end of confrontation between the West and Russia. Lithuania's intelligence chiefs suggested Russia had the manpower, material and financial resources to sustain the Ukraine fight. Despite suffering heavy losses in personnel and equipment since the 2022 invasion, Russia has been able to rebuild its armed forces in greater numbers. Moscow is able to evaluate the lessons learned and improve its combat effectiveness, said the report, composed by Lithuania's State Security Department and the Defense Intelligence and Security Service. Russia continued to prioritize quantity of manpower and material over quality of forces it added. U.S. begins investigation against SpaceX over use of Starlink by Russian military. The House Democrats in the United States have initiated an investigation into Elon Musk's company SpaceX to determine whether the company took appropriate measures to prevent the use of its satellite internet service Starlink by Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to the Washington Post. Representatives Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia sent a letter demanding that the company report any complaints regarding potential illegal acquisitions of Starlink terminals, particularly in the Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine. Lawmakers expressed concern over claims by Ukraine intelligence that Russian forces had deployed the company's terminals in eastern Ukraine, potentially violating U.S. sanctions. Lawmakers cautioned SpaceX president Gwyn Shotwell that the anticipated use of Starlink by Russia poses a serious threat to Ukraine's security, Ukrainian lives and U.S. national security. We are concerned that you may not have appropriate guardrails and policies in place, wrote Raskin and Garcia. The investigation underscores the critical importance of the Starlink service for Ukraine's military operations providing a backbone for digital communication on the battlefield since Russia's invasion of the country two years ago. SpaceX swiftly supplied Starlink terminals to Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian officials within hours of Russia's attack. The Defense Ministry purchased between 400 to 500 new terminals for Ukraine in June 2023, according to the letter. However, there have been long concerns about the broad influence SpaceX and its CEO and founder Elon Musk exert on the war. Lawmakers fear that Starlink could now provide Russia with a similar advantage following reports in February that Ukrainian intelligence claimed Russian forces were increasingly using Starlink satellite communication systems. Recent media reports have suggested that Russian soldiers in Ukraine are using Starlink terminals. Subsequently, this information was confirmed by the main intelligence directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In response to such information, SpaceX owner Elon Musk emphasized that no one officially sold terminals to Russia.