Lithuanian government holds emergency drill near cabinet offices

A large-scale emergency response drill was conducted near Lithuania’s government headquarters in central Vilnius on Monday, simulating an explosion and fire scenario, state broadcaster LRT reports.

Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė, who was inside the cabinet building during the exercise, was evacuated to a secure location by the Leadership Protection Service. Government Chancellor Eitvydas Bingelis confirmed the drill tested coordination between agencies in responding to a simulated blast, fire hazard, and casualty evacuation.

“The scenario was complex—where one problem rarely comes alone: an explosion, fire risk, evacuation, and rescue operations,” Bingelis told journalists. He emphasized that the focus was on assessing how services would react if the prime minister were present during such an incident. “The Leadership Protection Service immediately relocated her to a safe area after the first alert,” he added.

Fire and rescue teams deployed six fire trucks—four for firefighting and rescue, one with an aerial ladder for high-rise evacuation, and a command vehicle. Kęstutis Agintas, deputy director of the Fire Protection and Rescue Department, noted that while the drill proceeded smoothly, one fire truck had to leave mid-exercise to respond to a real emergency. He also highlighted the need for faster information-sharing between building staff and first responders.

Deputy Police Commissioner General Marius Draudvila described the interagency coordination as effective but acknowledged room for improvement, particularly in real-time communication. “The biggest challenge in any drill is seamless information exchange and collaboration,” he said.

Bingelis stated that lessons from the exercise would be reviewed to update emergency protocols, ensuring procedures remain practical rather than “just on paper.” Future drills may involve the entire cabinet, he added.