Lithuania orders about 100 troops to reinforce Kaliningrad border

Lithuania has ordered about 100 troops to support border guards along the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region, with more forces available if needed, LRT reported Thursday.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the deployment was expected to begin late Wednesday or overnight, once his order took effect. The troops are expected to remain at the border for about two weeks, but the duration and size of the force could change as the situation develops.

Kaunas said the military was responding to a request from Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas to strengthen border security. He cited the risk that Russian citizens could try to enter Lithuania to flee a possible mobilisation in Russia. He said there were no physical barriers on the Kaliningrad border, making additional personnel necessary.

The decision followed an incident this week at the Latvia-Belarus border. At least 20 migrants, accompanied by masked armed people, tried to cross illegally into Latvia, according to the article. Several hours later, masked people entered Latvian territory, damaged an electrical distribution cabinet and stole video cameras before returning to Belarus.

Latvia’s National Armed Forces said the incident was evidence of continued provocations and hybrid threats at the border, with irregular migration being used to put pressure on Latvia and the European Union and NATO’s external borders. Nearly 12,000 people have been prevented from illegally crossing into Latvia from Belarus this year, the article said.