Lithuania plans to establish a new defense zone along its borders with Belarus and Russia
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has proposed expanding the country’s defense system by establishing a new defense zone along the borders with Belarus and the Kaliningrad Oblast, as well as increasing the number of engineering structures designed to counter mobility.
This was reported by LRT.
According to the draft government resolution, it is proposed to increase the number of engineering facilities from 27 to 50 and to create 23 additional positions within the new defense zone by 2030.
Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Defense Tomas Godlauskas noted that due to the expansion of the project’s scope, the implementation timeline will have to be extended beyond the originally planned 2027. “The military has determined that additional measures are needed, so it is necessary to expand the network of engineering parks to 50 and secure funding for their acquisition and installation,” he said.
As part of the project, by 2030, plans include installing reserve engineering obstacles on national roads and approaches to bridges, equipping bridges with structures for attaching explosives, creating a new mobility-restriction zone 150 meters wide and up to 20 meters deep from the border guards’ patrol route, installing anti-tank trenches, wire barriers, and closing roads leading from Belarus.
Implementing the project may require the use of private land, which will necessitate legislative changes. According to the ministry’s estimates, the cost will amount to approximately €50 million between 2026 and 2030, with funding provided by the State Defense Fund.
Earlier, Lithuania explained why the war in Ukraine is depleting Russia’s resources.
Lithuania has purchased protective equipment against chemical and nuclear threats worth over €300,000.
