Lithuania extends army support on Kaliningrad border through mid-November

Lithuania’s defence minister, Robertas Kaunas, has extended military support for border protection near Kaliningrad until mid-November, LRT reported.

“Assessing possible flows of residents fleeing the Kaliningrad region and related incidents of illegal border crossings, we are extending reinforced border protection until mid-November as a preventive measure,” Kaunas said in a statement from the Ministry of National Defence.

The decision followed a request from Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas. The Lithuanian Armed Forces and the State Border Guard Service will coordinate military support as needed.

The ministry said military intelligence had detected no significant changes in military activity in the Kaliningrad region. Lithuania’s armed forces have assigned about 100 troops to help the border guard service protect the border with Russia, BNS reported.

Katelynas said this week that no additional troops had been requested so far, adding that any further deployment would depend on the border guard service’s needs. He previously described the military’s involvement as preventive, citing public information that Russia planned mobilisation after State Duma elections, while noting that the threat level at the border had not risen.

The armed forces have said preventive cooperation between institutions is routine and helps strengthen border protection and carry out joint tasks. Soldiers patrol the territories of border guard posts alongside border guard officers. Mobile patrols, mobile observation posts and military police crews can also be deployed as needed.