Major municipalities have evacuation plans but may lack transport

Major Lithuanian municipalities have evacuation plans and routes for a military threat, but say transport capacity and support for vulnerable residents remain concerns, LRT reported, citing responses to questions from the ELTA news agency.

Kaunas, Šiauliai, Panevėžys and Marijampolė municipalities said they had identified routes, gathering points and vehicles, and planned to work with state institutions and private transport companies. A key challenge is ensuring transport for residents who cannot leave on their own.

A state-level plan estimates that about 75 percent of residents could evacuate independently, while the remaining 25 percent would need organised transport. Municipalities stressed that this is a planning estimate: the actual need would depend on the nature of the threat, road conditions and residents’ ability to travel independently.

This year’s civil protection exercise, Vytis Shield 2026, tested how state and municipal institutions would coordinate an evacuation, register residents and organise transport. “It is impossible to say precisely in advance how many people would need organised transport in a particular situation,” Panevėžys preparedness officer Justas Laurinavičius told ELTA. He said the number would depend on the threat, available vehicles and drivers, road conditions and other circumstances.

Municipal and private buses, along with other vehicles, would be used. Šiauliai municipality said its available capacity could carry about 6,000 people in one trip. Marijampolė said it would use buses, including school buses, and seek additional vehicles if needed.

Under the state’s procedures, an evacuation must be completed within 72 hours of the official decision being announced. However, Kaunas and Marijampolė said they did not currently have enough transport adapted for people with disabilities to evacuate everyone needing assistance at once. Marijampolė said it would seek additional capacity through the Ministry of Transport, which would coordinate resources nationally. The municipality also works with non-governmental organisations to identify residents who may need extra help.

Other municipalities said they could also seek assistance from state institutions, non-governmental organisations and private transport operators.

Routes would depend on the threat

The municipalities said they had identified evacuation directions, gathering points and options for temporary accommodation. Kaunas has provisionally identified two main directions: southwest towards Poland, and north towards Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. Panevėžys has identified eight possible routes.

Marijampolė said its routes had been coordinated with the Fire and Rescue Department, and that gathering points and arrangements for receiving and temporarily housing evacuees had also been planned. Šiauliai and Panevėžys are also designated in the state plan to receive evacuees. Šiauliai would additionally serve as one of the main centres for evacuation by rail.