Another country has joined Poland’s plans to mine the borders with Russia and Belarus. Lithuania has announced its intention to install mine barriers on its borders as part of a joint strategy for the defense of Europe’s eastern flank. About this reported Ministry of Defense of Lithuania.
According to the Minister of Defense of Lithuania Dovila Šakaliene, the official Vilnius actively cooperates with Poland and Finland on the coordination of measures to strengthen the protection of the eastern borders of NATO and the European Union. Within the framework of these negotiations, the unification of the Polish project “Eastern Shield” and the creation of the “Baltic Line of Defense” are being discussed, in which it is planned to involve Finland.
During the past three months, Shakaliene held bilateral meetings with the defense ministers of 24 countries and participated in more than ten multilateral events that raised the issue of the need to update and expand the concept of countermobility for Europe’s eastern flank.
In particular, it is about the creation of a multi-level system of fortifications, which will include not only physical barriers, but also the use of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Lithuania plans to apply to the European Union for financing this large-scale defense project.
“Within such meetings, a discussion was initiated on the renewal and expansion of the concept of countermobility. Based on the Polish example, the northeastern flank can be strengthened with several layers of defense lines, in particular with the use of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. The regional partners already intend to jointly seek EU funding to implement this goal.” — reported in the Ministry of Defense of Lithuania.
Such measures were a reaction to the decision of Poland, which had previously announced plans to install anti-personnel mines along the borders with Russia and Belarus as part of the “Eastern Shield” defense project. Polish Deputy Minister of Defense Pawel Beyda explained that the situation on the Polish-Belarusian and Polish-Russian borders remains extremely tense and requires decisive measures.
“This will be one of the key elements of the “Eastern Shield” project. Pay attention from which side Ukraine was attacked – precisely from the Belarusian direction. Currently, we do not have anti-personnel mines in service, but we have the opportunity to establish their production.” – emphasized Pavel Beida.
In this context, it is important to note that Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have already announced their withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on the ban on the use of anti-personnel mines. This decision was a response to the deterioration of the security situation in the region and the growing threat from Russia and Belarus.
Lithuania, which shares more than 266 kilometers of border with Russia and about 680 kilometers with Belarus, sees demining as one of the key elements in strengthening defenses and deterring potential aggression.
