As part of a broader defence line being developed across the Baltic states – Lithuania is planning to restore marshes along its borders. Russian propagandists have already mocked the initiative, despite Russia’s own losses of heavy military equipment in Ukraine’s wetlands.
Lithuanians have long used marshes as a defensive measure – even during medieval battles against the Teutonic and Livonian orders.
Wetlands cover nearly a tenth of Lithuania’s territory, though some have been lost irreversibly. Next year, about €10 million will be allocated for pilot peatland restoration projects, coordinated with the Ministry of Defence.
“We’re trying to identify where restoration would have the greatest impact and where it makes most sense to begin,” said Povilas Poderskis, Chancellor of the Environment Ministry.
Under the forthcoming Nature Restoration Regulation, around 40,000 hectares of peatlands are to be rehabilitated starting next year.
The Aukštumala bog in the Šilutė district offers a glimpse of what peatland rehabilitation involves. Once drained for peat extraction, Aukštumala bog is now waterlogged again – but bringing it back to life took years of effort.
“If it’s a raised bog, it’s fed only by rainfall. We need to retain the water from precipitation and snow so that it stays in the bog. If it’s a fen, there may be a stream flowing through it – in that case, if the stream drains the area, we might need to build a dam, possibly an adjustable one,” explained Nerijus Zableckis, head of the Peatland Restoration and Protection Fund.
A measure against heavy machinery
Russian propagandists on Telegram have ridiculed the Baltic countries’ plans, claiming that “swamps won’t stop Russian troops”.
But in Ukraine marshes have swallowed or immobilised large numbers of Russian armoured vehicles.
“Preliminary estimates suggest that around three to four percent of border areas could be converted back into wetlands as part of the broader defence concept. We’re awaiting the final assessment from the armed forces and coordinating with the Environment Ministry to ensure a comprehensive approach,” said Deputy Defence Minister Tomas Godliauskas.
A few years ago, Belarusian authorities struggled to rescue cows that had become trapped in a bog.
Lithuanian troops, too, learned how difficult it can be to recover heavy machinery from wetlands during a joint operation to retrieve sunken American soldiers.
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