Coordination failures identified in Kaliningrad transit drills, corrections underway

Coordination gaps between Lithuanian security services were exposed during February’s Kaliningrad transit rail exercises, with officials now working to address the shortcomings, LRT reports.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Sigitas Šemis, deputy head of the Police Department’s Public Order Bureau, acknowledged that the drills—simulating a scenario where hostile individuals disembarked from a transit train—revealed flaws in inter-agency communication and tactical execution.

“One of the key issues was inadequate communication between the participating services,” Šemis said. “This breakdown affects everything else—tactics, procedures—leading to outcomes that fall short of our standards.”

The remarks came as authorities conducted riot response training at Kaunas’ Dariaus and Girėno Stadium, where officers practiced managing mass unrest scenarios, including football-related disturbances. Šemis emphasised that while protocols exist for such situations, “the human factor” often introduces deviations, necessitating post-exercise analysis.

The February 9 interagency drills in Kaunas had simulated a conflict aboard a Kaliningrad-bound train, including passengers leaving the vehicle. Šemis confirmed that lessons learned from that exercise were being applied to the current training, with adjustments expected for future operations.

Participating agencies included police, fire and rescue services, public security officers, emergency call centres, Kaunas municipality representatives, and stadium security. The stadium scenario involved a simulated fan gathering disrupted by a drone crash and fire, escalating into a mass brawl requiring crowd evacuation and the activation of the police’s riot control plan, Vėtra.

While Šemis noted no immediate threat of large-scale unrest, he stressed the need for preparedness. “We don’t see a specific risk tomorrow, but we must always be ready,” he said, adding that Lithuanian football fans are “relatively peaceful” by European standards—though past incidents, such as clashes involving Polish Legia supporters at Liepkalnis Stadium, underscore the need for vigilance.

The Dariaus and Girėno Stadium was described as a manageable venue from a security standpoint, with effective coordination and advance planning deemed critical to mitigating risks.