Lithuania’s military has been deployed to help protect the country’s liquefied natural gas terminal in Klaipėda and other critical infrastructure following warnings from President Gitanas Nausėda and other regional leaders about potential Russian provocations.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas signed an order on July 17 authorising the deployment.
The military will also reinforce security at the LitPol Link electricity interconnection with Poland, including the Alytus switchyard and transformer substation, as well as the Kruonis Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Plant.
The deployment will run from July 19 through August 19. The armed forces will provide a unit of up to 30 troops with transport assets, along with a vessel or motorboat and its crew. Operational tasks will be coordinated with the Public Security Service, which is responsible for protecting Lithuania’s critical infrastructure.
The move follows recent public warnings by leaders of NATO’s eastern flank, who cited intelligence indicating that Russia may be preparing kinetic provocations within their countries.
Nausėda said last week that Lithuania’s critical transport and energy infrastructure could become targets of both conventional and nonconventional attacks, including acts of sabotage.
On Tuesday, Deividas Matulionis, the president’s chief national security adviser, said NATO allies would deploy additional military capabilities to Lithuania if Russian provocations in the region triggered a critical security situation. He said the alliance was taking the warnings seriously and would be prepared to reinforce Lithuania with additional forces and air defence capabilities if necessary.
Not a sign of higher threat level
Lithuania’s increased protection of critical infrastructure does not indicate a higher threat level and is being maintained as a precautionary measure, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Tuesday.
“Preventively, we are increasing the protection of critical infrastructure. This was done on June 11 at the request of the Interior Ministry, and we are now extending that decision,” Kaunas told reporters.
The threat level has not increased, Kaunas added.
“The threat level has not worsened or changed since June 11, when this request and decision were made. We are simply continuing the operation as a precautionary measure,” he said.
Kaunas said the enhanced security measures could continue beyond August 19 if necessary.
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