Lithuanian Armed Forces have raised their readiness status due to the upcoming military drills in Belarus that will also involve Russian troops, Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupšys said in an interview with BNS on Monday.
As Russia has amassed some 130,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, the military drills in Belarus, scheduled for February 10-20, are adding to the West’s concerns about the security situation in Central and Eastern Europe.
According to NATO, around 30,000 Russian troops will be deployed in Belarus.
“Yes, it has,” Rupšys told BNS when asked if the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ readiness status has been raised.
“The level of alert [is being heightened] so that we could respond to the changing situation or a possible threat to us, and be in the right place with the required capabilities,” he said.
Rupšys said he was “deeply convinced” that some of the Russian troops will remain in Belarus after the drills.
But Lithuania is currently facing no direct security threats from Belarus, he added.
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