The authorities of Vilnius on Tuesday unveiled their defence plan that includes a counter-mobility park, a drone flying track, and new evacuation plans.
According to the municipality, the capital city’s defence plan consists of two main parts. The defence support part includes an action plan for a counter-mobility park, a drone ecosystem with a new flying area, a military commandant’s office and the reception of the German brigade assigned to Lithuania. Meanwhile, the civil protection reinforcement plan includes a network of shelters, evacuation plans, and communication channels with citizens.
“We see our contribution here as very significant because, first and foremost, Vilnius is the capital city and therefore the number-one target. Of course, our geographical location close to the border with Belarus, a few dozen kilometres away, we have the Astravyets nuclear power plant, which poses its own threat,” Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas told reporters on Tuesday.
The Vilnius authorities plan to buy counter-mobility installations such as concrete roadblocks, concrete dragon’s teeth and steel Czech hedgehogs to step up the protection of the entrances to the city, if necessary, and to make it more difficult for potential enemies to move.
The procurement is planned for this year and could require up to 1 million euros.
According to Benkunskas, a drone track is also planned to be set up this summer in an open space in the Šeškinė area of Vilnius. The site will be equipped with take-off platforms, nets, fences, obstacles and a suitable surface for drone training. The site will be open to everyone and people will be able to use it for training after booking a time slot using an electronic system.
The Lithuanian capital also plans to update the evacuation plans in the autumn, but they will not be made public. There are also plans to increase the number of shelters.
Currently, Vilnius has 672 sites where about 50 percent of the population could take shelter for a short time, the mayor said.
“National legislation stipulates that the percentage should be at least 60 percent. But our goal is certainly not to stop at 60 percent, and this year we want to move towards 100 percent and have a network of shelters to cover the whole of Vilnius,” the mayor said.
The local authorities will also aim to install 52 additional warning sirens and produce a paper manual with key information on what to do in case of an emergency. The municipality’s plans also include a dedicated phone line, a mobile app and the purchase of back-up radio equipment.
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