Minister orders inquiry after migrant attack on Lithuanian border guards

Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas said he was not properly informed about an incident in which irregular migrants attacked State Border Guard Service officers, LRT reported. He has ordered an official inspection of the border service’s actions and the flow of information about the incident.

The incident took place on July 26 in Varėna district, where a group of migrants allegedly tried to enter Lithuania illegally through a tunnel and attacked border guards. The incident was not publicly announced at the time.

Lazdijai politician Vilma Danauskienė raised the issue on Facebook on Wednesday, questioning why four border guards had been sent to confront a group of more than 20 migrants armed with sticks and stones.

Katelynas said he had previously been told that border guards had stopped the construction of a tunnel near the state border. However, he said he learned the essential details only on Wednesday after seeing reports on social media.

Before a government meeting, the minister summoned State Border Guard Service commander Rustamas Liubajevas to provide details. Katelynas said Liubajevas had accepted responsibility for the incident’s significance not being properly assessed and for the minister not being adequately informed.

“After this conversation with the commander of the State Border Guard Service, I decided to begin an official inspection so that the actions of the border service leadership could be objectively assessed,” Katelynas said.

He said further comments would be provided after the inspection.