Lithuania Plans to Extend Border Security Measures Until November
(MENAFN) Lithuania is seeking to keep military personnel deployed along its border with Russia until early November to support border security operations, Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas said Wednesday, according to a Lithuanian public broadcaster.
Katelynas said he contacted Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas on Tuesday to request an extension of the enhanced security measures and continued military assistance.
“I believe a decision will be made soon. The agreement was for the military to be deployed until October 16, so I hope it will be extended until the beginning of November,” he told reporters.
Around 100 Lithuanian troops are currently assisting the State Border Guard Service in securing the frontier with Russia.
No request for additional personnel has been made so far, Katelynas said, adding that troop numbers could be adjusted based on operational requirements.
“The number is not set in stone,” he said, explaining that border officials would determine whether 60, 80 or 100 troops were necessary before coordinating their assessment with the Defense Ministry and military leadership.
Katelynas previously characterized the deployment as a preventive step based on publicly available information, rather than intelligence, indicating that Russia was preparing for a military mobilization.
Although the security threat along the border has not increased, the minister said he anticipated that people could attempt to seek asylum in Lithuania to avoid military service.
The Lithuanian military has described interagency cooperation to reinforce border security as a routine practice designed to ensure effective coordination and the successful execution of joint operations.
Military personnel are conducting patrols around border guard stations alongside border officials. Depending on operational requirements, the armed forces may also deploy mobile patrol units, mobile observation posts and military police teams.
Katelynas said he contacted Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas on Tuesday to request an extension of the enhanced security measures and continued military assistance.
“I believe a decision will be made soon. The agreement was for the military to be deployed until October 16, so I hope it will be extended until the beginning of November,” he told reporters.
Around 100 Lithuanian troops are currently assisting the State Border Guard Service in securing the frontier with Russia.
No request for additional personnel has been made so far, Katelynas said, adding that troop numbers could be adjusted based on operational requirements.
“The number is not set in stone,” he said, explaining that border officials would determine whether 60, 80 or 100 troops were necessary before coordinating their assessment with the Defense Ministry and military leadership.
Katelynas previously characterized the deployment as a preventive step based on publicly available information, rather than intelligence, indicating that Russia was preparing for a military mobilization.
Although the security threat along the border has not increased, the minister said he anticipated that people could attempt to seek asylum in Lithuania to avoid military service.
The Lithuanian military has described interagency cooperation to reinforce border security as a routine practice designed to ensure effective coordination and the successful execution of joint operations.
Military personnel are conducting patrols around border guard stations alongside border officials. Depending on operational requirements, the armed forces may also deploy mobile patrol units, mobile observation posts and military police teams.
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