A state-level civil protection exercise is being held in Vilnius region on Wednesday, Lithuania’s Interior Ministry reports.
The exercise is intended to take stock of the readiness of state and municipal authorities and services to perform their functions in the event of an accident at the nuclear power plant in Belarus.
“This exercise is aimed at clearly demonstrating that the safety and health of people is a state priority,” Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė is quoted in a statement. “The Astravyets nuclear power plant is a constant threat to the security of the Lithuanian population. Responsible authorities must be ready to respond to a possible nuclear or radiological disaster in Belarus, and all responsible services must be ready to provide necessary assistance to the people in a timely and smooth manner.”
The exercise will involve around 1,300 people, including 445 volunteers, 325 municipal and civil protection personnel, 571 members of municipal and ministerial operations centres.
The Astravyets nuclear power plant is located approximately 50km from Vilnius. Lithuania maintains that it was built in violation of safety and environmental requirements, something that the Belarusian government rejects.
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