Lithuania has stepped up the protection of its sea and land borders with Russia amid fears of aggression, Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė says.
She posted on Facebook that additional measures were taken in view of military buildup in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad which is wedged between Lithuania and Poland.
“Armed Kaliningrad is just so close, we also have threats from our neighbours, so we have the highest level of readiness and we are paying special attention to equipping our border guards,” the minister posted on Monday during her visit to western Lithuania.
Speaking to reporters later in the day, the minister said that the port city of Klaipėda had eight strategic facilities, including the LNG terminal, adding that “we must be as prepared as possible” when assessing Russian threats to Lithuania.
“We cannot relax. We have to be fully prepared. So, after today’s visit, I want to assure everyone that our land and sea borders are secured to the maximum possible extent, and that we have the highest level of readiness,” she said.
The radar system, upgraded earlier this year, as well as a fleet of service maritime vehicles is helping border guards to react more quickly and carry out border surveillance functions more efficiently, Bilotaitė said. She also vowed to continue paying special attention to equipping officers.
Additional equipment to be used to step pat the protection of Lithuania’s sea border has already arrived in Lithuania, Bilotaitė said but refrained from giving any more details.
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