Tunnels raise new threat on Baltic borders with Belarus

LRT reported that Lithuania and Latvia have discovered tunnels on their borders with Belarus, raising concerns that the routes could be used not only for illegal migration and smuggling but also for infiltration by “little green men.”

Latvia detected its first tunnel after 15 migrants used it to enter the country illegally. They were detained and turned back.

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said the country had launched Operation Vilkolakis to stop the organised activity. He said the operation would involve military forces, border guards, police and other services.

“We must do everything to make Latvia an unattractive choice. We will also help if this happens in Lithuania, as we have already discussed, or in Estonia and Poland. This problem is spreading. They simply migrate to places where it is easier to do so,” Kulbergs said.

Tunnels have also been discovered in Lithuania. In the most prominent recent case, officials who intercepted migrants crossing the border illegally were attacked after finding themselves outnumbered.

The issue has taken on a new dimension as the leaders of the Baltic states draw on intelligence information and warn of possible Russian attacks against the region. Lithuanian border officials said more than a week ago that the tunnels might serve purposes beyond illegal migration and smuggling, including a possible incursion by “little green men.”

According to LRT sources, some of the tunnels were professionally constructed and reinforced. Lithuanian border officials have privately said they know where some tunnels are being dug, but questions remain over the forces needed to set ambushes and whether all the tunnels are known.

Latvia’s Defence Minister Raivis Melnis said the response should rely on technology rather than stationing soldiers along the entire border.

“Lining up soldiers along the border is not an effective solution for ensuring border security or stopping illegal migration. In that case, soldiers would have to be stationed every 50 to 60 metres,” Melnis said.

Vibration-detecting sensors are the most accessible technology currently available. They are used in Lithuania, but it has not been clearly stated whether they cover the entire border with Belarus or whether they can detect vibrations deeper underground.

Ineta Kursevičienė, head of the Union of Police Trade Unions, said the border threat affects Poland as well as the Baltic states. She also said the problem was worsening because officials were not receiving sufficient equipment.

Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who discussed the security situation with the president, said he would travel to Latvia next week. He said talks would continue on secondary migration, support for Lithuanian officials and the tunnel threat.