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Lithuania has prepared evacuation plans in response to perceived threats from Russia but would resist any attack, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius told the BBC.
“We will not surrender,” Sinkevičius told the BBC’s Newsnight, adding that Lithuania would “fight back” and “engage” if attacked. He said authorities were preparing for “a variety of scenarios”, including the smooth evacuation of elderly residents from cities while avoiding traffic congestion.
Lithuania faces growing security concerns
“We face concrete threats, not on a daily basis, but we’re experiencing them and it’s a true reality for us,” the prime minister said. He added that Lithuanians felt “constantly threatened” by Russia, partly because of drones entering the country’s airspace.
A NATO member, Lithuania shares a land border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Sinkevičius said some contingency plans were not being discussed publicly.
He also said the United Kingdom needed a “shift in the mindset” regarding defence, while acknowledging that Lithuania was “closer to the border and closer to the threat”.
NATO responds to drone incursion
The comments came a week after NATO fighter pilots shot down a drone that entered Lithuanian airspace. The drone’s origin has not been confirmed, but Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told the BBC’s Newshour that it had come from the direction of Belarus, a neighbour of Lithuania and a close Russian ally.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the swift response by Lithuanian and Italian forces showed NATO’s readiness to protect its airspace.
“We stand united, around the clock, in defence of every inch of NATO territory,” Streeting said.
Moscow has not commented on the incident.
Drone incidents increase across Europe
Military drone incursions have become more frequent across Europe since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In May, residents of Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, were ordered to take shelter after a drone alert was issued, temporarily disrupting flights and rail services.
NATO aircraft have also been scrambled several times this year to intercept Ukrainian drones that crossed into Estonia and Latvia. Ukraine has attributed such incidents to Russian electronic warfare technology, which is designed to alter the flight paths of Ukrainian drones.
Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia joined NATO in 2004. Under Article 5, an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all members.
