Lithuania has deployed around 100 military personnel to strengthen border security with Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast. The order came into effect on the night of 8 October, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said. The military will assist the State Border Guard Service for at least several weeks; officials in Vilnius described this move as a preventative measure in light of regional risks, although the situation directly at the border remains stable.
Briefly about the main points
- A company of soldiers has been deployed to guard the border with Kaliningrad.
- The army will be working alongside the border guards for at least a few weeks.
- Lithuania is taking into account the risks of a possible mobilisation in Russia.
- An incident on the Latvian-Belarusian border was a further contributing factor.
- The mission may be extended or reinforced if necessary.
The military will patrol the border area
The troops were deployed at the request of the Minister of the Interior Martinas Katelinas. They will work alongside staff from the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service.
Where necessary, mobile patrols, observation posts and military police crews will be deployed. Kaunas He explained that the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast does not have a physical barrier like the Lithuanian-Belarusian section, so patrolling it requires additional personnel.
The length of Lithuania’s border with Russia is approximately 275 kilometres.
Vilnius is taking into account the risk of a new mobilisation in Russia
Lithuanian officials cited reports of a possible new incident as one of the reasons for stepping up security mobilisation in Russia. Katelinas suggested that, in such a scenario, some Russian citizens might try to evade conscription, cross the Lithuanian border illegally or seek asylum.
Kaunas also spoke of the risk of an increase in the number of hostile foreigners near the border. At the same time, the Lithuanian side is not claiming that the Russian authorities have already decided to carry out a mobilisation: the discussion centres on the risks that are taken into account when planning security measures.
The incident in Latvia was cited as an additional factor
An incident on the Latvian-Belarusian border was a further factor in Lithuania’s decision. According to BNS, a group of at least 20 irregular migrants, accompanied by masked individuals, attempted to cross the border. The Latvian side described the actions of the escorts as provocative and aggressive.
A few hours later, unidentified masked men broke into the territory of Latvia, damaged the electrical distribution board and stole the CCTV cameras. They returned to Belarus before the border guards arrived. Katelinas linked the incident to the risk of migration being used as a means of exerting pressure on the Baltic states.
Enhanced patrolling may continue
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius stated on 8 October that joint patrolling by border guards and the military should not be regarded as an extraordinary military operation. According to him, this arrangement was introduced on a temporary basis due to the risk of provocations and the overall situation in the region.
Kaunas noted that the authorities may extend the mission or increase the number of troops deployed, depending on how the security situation develops. The Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior emphasises that the military has been deployed to prepare for possible scenarios, rather than because of an immediate threat at the border.
