Lithuania’s Ministry of Defence has proposed expanding its network of counter-mobility engineering parks to 50 and establishing a new defensive zone along the country’s borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, including 23 additional sites by 2030.
The proposal, registered in a draft government resolution last week, would amend a July 2024 cabinet decision on implementing counter-mobility measures.
The ministry had previously announced plans to increase the number of engineering parks from 27 to 50. Speaking in August, Deputy Defence Minister Tomas Godliauskas said the project was initially expected to be completed by 2027. The revised timeline reflects an assessment by the Lithuanian Armed Forces that additional time is needed as the scope of the project expands.
“The military, through detailed planning and alignment of this defence concept with NATO plans, identified that more measures are needed,” Godliauskas said. “Therefore, there is a need to expand the network of engineering parks to 50, allocate funding accordingly, and schedule their acquisition and installation over time.”
Under the proposal, reserve obstacles would continue to be installed on national roads and bridge approaches through 2030, in line with military technical requirements. Bridges would also be fitted with structures designed for attaching explosives.
The plan further calls for creating a new counter-mobility zone along the borders with Belarus and Kaliningrad by the end of 2029. The zone would extend 150 metres wide and 20 metres inland from the border guard patrol path.
The ministry anticipates the need to use private land for the project, requiring legislative changes. It proposes preparing the legal framework in 2026–2027, carrying out land management procedures in 2027–2028, and completing installation in 2028–2029.
“Our priority now is installation on the very first line – blocking border posts, closing roads coming from Belarus, securing easements, digging anti-tank ditches, and installing wire barriers,” Godliauskas said. “We want to establish the first-line zone several hundred meters deep as it should be.”
He added that land requirements along the border could be secured through easements or other mechanisms, as outlined in the draft resolution.
The ministry estimates the measures will cost about 50 million euros between 2026 and 2030, with funding to come from the State Defence Fund.
Godliauskas said 8.5 million euros were allocated for counter-mobility engineering last year, with 10 million euros earmarked for this year.
“In total, 78 million euros have been allocated this year alone for strengthening counter-mobility – this includes funds for purchasing mines, acquiring engineering equipment for the parks, and potential land compensation mechanisms,” he said.
He added that he expects the government to approve the resolution by mid-April.
According to the ministry, the 27 existing counter-mobility engineering parks near the borders with Russia and Belarus are fully equipped and ready for use. They store obstacles such as “dragon’s teeth”, prefabricated “hedgehogs”, “Spanish horses”, concrete road barriers, concertina wire, roadblocks and shipping containers.
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