Lithuania holds over 400 civil resistance training sessions attended by 11,000 people this year

More than 11,000 people have participated in civil resistance training sessions across Lithuania in the first three months of this year, with nearly 400 courses held nationwide, the country’s Ministry of National Defence reported on Tuesday.

The training programme, coordinated by the Mobilisation and Civil Resistance Department, aims to reach as broad an audience as possible, including residents outside major cities, according to department head Virginijus Vitalijus Vilkelis.

“We welcome the growing interest from businesses, public sector organisations, and NGOs,” Vilkelis said in a statement. “We not only actively offer these courses to public and private sector entities and local communities nationwide but also encourage organisations to register.”

The 4.5-hour sessions cover hybrid threats and their challenges, recommended civilian actions during wartime, and psychological resilience in extreme situations. Participants also learn first aid basics, emergency supply kit preparation, and potential restrictions on civil liberties during states of emergency or war.

Since February, Lithuania’s largest cities have also hosted free eight-hour advanced modules on hybrid threat resistance and civil resistance skills, the ministry added.