As Russia commemorates victory in World War Two on May 9, Vilnius Police will step up surveillance of public spaces and officers will be on standby at Antakalnis Cemetery to prevent any provocations.
Uniformed and non-uniformed police officers will patrol the cemetery, which holds a tomb of Red Army soldiers, on Thursday, the Police Department told BNS.
More police officers will be at military cemeteries throughout the country to prevent provocations and possible acts of vandalism.
Police officers will also keep a close watch on public spaces, including monuments, squares, bridges and other sites, and monitor the situation regarding the display of banned symbols.
Gabrielius Grubinskas of Vilnius Municipality told BNS the city authorities had no indication of any planned gatherings to mark Victory Day.
“We have not received any requests for permission to hold a gathering. If we receive information about a planned gathering without a permit, we would pass the information on to police officers,” Grubinskas said.
Earlier this week, Lithuanian intelligence warned of possible provocations as Russia and some other former Soviet countries mark Victory Day on May 9, saying that the likelihood of attacks or provocations against anti-Soviet monuments and various sites in Lithuania remained elevated.
The end of World War Two is commemorated in Europe on May 8. Meanwhile, Russia and some other Soviet-ruled countries mark the day of victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. In Lithuania, bigger commemorations on this day take place in Vilnius and Klaipėda as they have bigger Russian-speaking communities.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
