Lithuania deploys troops to Kaliningrad border over mobilization concerns

Lithuania is sending troops to reinforce its border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region, citing signs that Russia may announce mobilization and a recent incident on the Latvia-Belarus border, Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas said, LRT reported.

Katelynas described the move as preventive, saying people seeking to avoid mobilization in Russia could try to enter Lithuania illegally.

Defence Minister R. Kaunas said the order was being implemented immediately. The army will help border guards patrol the Kaliningrad border for about two weeks, until October 16, with up to 100 troops expected to be deployed.

Kaunas said the Belarusian border has a physical fence, while there are no physical barriers along the border with Kaliningrad. Katelynas said the situation at Lithuania’s border was currently calm.

Lithuania’s border with Russia stretches for nearly 275 kilometres.