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Lithuania has prepared evacuation plans for potential threats from Russia and would fight back if attacked, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius told the BBC.
Sinkevicius said on Tuesday that people in the NATO member state felt “constantly threatened” by Russia, partly because drones had entered Lithuanian airspace. “We will not surrender,” he said, adding that Lithuania would “fight back” and “engage” in the event of an attack.
Lithuania prepares for different scenarios
The prime minister said authorities had developed plans for a “variety of scenarios”, including the smooth evacuation of elderly residents from cities while avoiding major traffic congestion.
“We’re thinking about a variety of scenarios, not all of them are being discussed very much publicly,” Sinkevicius said. “We face concrete threats, not on a daily basis, but we’re experiencing them and it’s a true reality for us.”
Lithuania shares a land border with Russia’s Kaliningrad region and also borders Belarus, a close Russian ally.
Drone shot down over Lithuanian airspace
Sinkevicius said the United Kingdom needed a “shift in the mindset” in its approach to defence, while acknowledging that Lithuania was “closer to the border and closer to the threat”.
His comments came a week after NATO fighter pilots shot down a drone that had entered Lithuanian airspace.
The drone’s origins have not been officially confirmed. However, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told the BBC’s Newshour programme that it had come from the direction of Belarus.
