Katelynas expects new border guard chief candidate to emerge this month

Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas already knows who could become the new head of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service, but has not yet disclosed the candidate’s name, LRT reports.

“I know, but I will not say yet,” Katelynas told reporters on Wednesday when asked whether the next commander had been selected.

He said he hoped the candidate would be announced by the end of September.

“I hope it will become clear during this month,” Katelynas said.

The government appoints and dismisses the State Border Guard Service commander on the recommendation of the interior minister.

In mid-August, the government dismissed Rustamas Liubajevas as commander. Deputy commander Donatas Škarnulis is currently leading the service.

Katelynas said on August 17 that Liubajevas had decided to step down. Some opposition politicians, however, suggested that the decision may have followed significant pressure from the interior minister.

Liubajevas wrote on the service’s Facebook account that he had decided to resign in response to doubts about the institution expressed publicly and because he felt responsible “both for the institution’s successes and failures.”

Liubajevas was first appointed commander of the State Border Guard Service in 2019, when he was granted the rank of general. He was appointed to a second term in 2024.

ELTA reported that media outlets had published information about a confrontation between border guards and migrants who emerged from a tunnel. According to the reports, one Lithuanian officer was beaten, while another officer was allegedly dragged towards Belarus during the incident. The officer managed to break free.

The Lrytas news portal reported the information on Friday, citing sources. Katelynas said that if the reports were confirmed, he would no longer see a possibility for Liubajevas to remain in office.