Lithuania says Kaliningrad border remains calm as troops assist guards

The situation on Lithuania’s border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region is calm, interim State Border Guard Service chief Donatas Škarnulis said Monday, LRT reported.

“We have faced several violations this year, but we are prepared, and the Lithuanian Armed Forces are currently helping us prevent possible threats,” Škarnulis told LRT Radio. He said joint work by border guards and soldiers was preventive and also gave them a chance to practise working together.

Authorities are assessing risks and indications that mobilisation could take place and that a group of people might leave Kaliningrad, Škarnulis said. The military has been deployed to deter possible threats and prevent illegal border crossings.

Soldiers have been assisting the State Border Guard Service on the border with Kaliningrad since October 8. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas extended the assistance until mid-November, following a request from Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas.

The Defence Ministry has said it has observed no significant changes in military activity in Kaliningrad, but assistance is needed because escapes from the region could increase. About 100 Lithuanian troops have been assigned to help guard the border.

Katelynas has described the deployment as a preventive measure, citing public, non-intelligence information that Russia plans to carry out mobilisation after its State Duma elections. He said the threat level on the border had not increased.

The interior minister has proposed appointing Škarnulis as the permanent head of the State Border Guard Service from November 5. He has led the service on an interim basis since the second half of August, when Rustamas Liubajevas left the post.