Russian naval activity in Baltic Sea under constant surveillance, says Lithuanian defence official

Lithuania’s military is closely monitoring Russian naval movements in the Baltic Sea, though no immediate maritime threat has been detected, Rear Admiral Giedrius Premeneckas, chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Defence Staff, told LRT.lt.

While Russia’s Baltic Fleet operates routinely in the region, Lithuania’s naval forces—currently consisting of four patrol vessels and two minesweepers—maintain continuous surveillance. A third minesweeper is expected to join the fleet next year, Premeneckas said.

He acknowledged that Lithuania will soon face decisions about its aging naval vessels, some of which have served for decades. “Perhaps by the end of this decade or mid-next, they’ll reach a point where major overhauls would be needed. Assessments show that wouldn’t be rational,” he stated. The country also lacks the financial means to acquire larger combat ships like frigates or destroyers, which require significant resources.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed that current priorities focus on drones, counter-drone systems, and underwater sensors, with new vessel acquisitions planned “much later.”

Premeneckas emphasized that while Lithuania shares maritime borders with Russia’s Kaliningrad region, any hostile naval buildup would be detected. “The sea is easier to monitor than forests or land due to its open nature,” he noted. Russian forces currently operate within their own waters, occasionally transiting Lithuania’s exclusive economic zone—permitted under international law—but no large-scale reinforcements from other fleets, such as Russia’s Northern Fleet, have been observed.

Lithuania’s coastal radar systems provide full coverage of its territorial waters up to 30 kilometres from shore.