Lithuania plans evacuations but will fight back if Russia attacks, PM says

Lithuania has prepared evacuation plans for a range of scenarios linked to threats from Russia, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius told the BBC. He said the country would resist if it were attacked.

One example he gave was moving elderly residents out of cities in an orderly way to avoid traffic jams. Some scenarios, he said, were not being discussed publicly.

Airspace incidents

Sinkevičius said Lithuania faced concrete threats, including drones entering its airspace. Nato fighter pilots shot down a drone over the country last week, but its origin has not been confirmed; Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said it came from the direction of Belarus.

Flights at Lithuania’s main airport in Vilnius were disrupted late on Monday by objects resembling balloons. The airports operator called the incident a “hybrid attack carried out by Belarus”, while presidential adviser Deividas Matulionis said it was unclear whether the objects were balloons.

Nato forces and German brigade

Lithuania is a Nato member and shares a land border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. Nato had more than 5,000 troops in the country as of December last year, but says it cannot currently provide a precise figure.

Germany has pledged to permanently deploy a combat-ready brigade of 5,000 troops to Lithuania. Nato says it will reach full operational capability by the end of 2027, with most personnel based in Rūdninkai near the Suwałki Gap.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Tuesday that a new US troop rotation was heading to the country. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the actions of Lithuanian and Italian forces showed Nato’s readiness to defend its airspace.

Sinkevičius said Lithuania felt constantly threatened by Russia, while Vilnius has also described incidents over the past year as “hybrid attacks” carried out by Belarus. Drone incursions across Europe have become more common since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.