Lithuania sends troops to guard Kaliningrad border for two weeks

About 100 Lithuanian soldiers will help guard the border with Kaliningrad for two weeks, although local residents say they feel no threat, LRT reported. Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas said the country’s threat level had not changed, but border guards had limited resources and illegal migration from Russia could increase if mobilization is announced there.

At the Panemunė border checkpoint, people continued to cross the bridge on foot between Lithuania and Kaliningrad. Up to 300 people of various nationalities pass through each day, mostly Russian citizens with residence permits who live elsewhere in Europe, said Asta Pocienė, a shift supervisor at the Bardinai border guard post. Many of those crossing are Lithuanians visiting relatives or cemeteries in Kaliningrad, or working there.

No recent incidents involving illegal migration have been recorded at the checkpoint. The Nemunas River acts as a natural barrier, and border guards patrol by boat and off-road vehicle while cameras monitor the stretch.

Pagėgiai municipal elder Irena Kentrienė said local life was continuing as usual and residents had become accustomed to the situation. People interviewed in Panemunė said they felt safe, though some noted that seeing military vehicles could be unsettling.

The plan to deploy troops along the border was announced on Wednesday. The exact locations and timing of their duty have not been disclosed. Soldiers will patrol alongside State Border Guard Service officers, with mobile patrols, mobile observation posts and Military Police crews available if needed.

Katelynas described the deployment as a preventive measure. He said people seeking to avoid mobilization might try to enter Lithuania and apply for asylum. The minister also said he had asked his ministry to find a way to record the routes taken by Russian citizens travelling through Lithuania by car. The deployment may be extended if necessary.