Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has confirmed his country has developed evacuation plans in response to threats from Russia, but emphasized that Lithuania "will not surrender" if attacked and is ready to "fight back." Sinkevičius told the BBC's Newsnight program that Lithuanians feel "constantly threatened" by Russia, citing incidents like drones entering national airspace. He provided an example of these evacuation plans focusing on the smooth, congestion-free removal of elderly citizens from cities.
Lithuania, a NATO member, shares a land border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and the Suwałki Gap is a particular concern. The country has significantly increased its defense spending to 5.38% of GDP in its latest budget, up from approximately 2% in 2021. Physical barriers and anti-drone systems have been installed along its borders with Russia and Belarus, and hundreds of millions are being invested in fortifying power grids against drone attacks.
The United States is maintaining its military presence in Lithuania, with President Gitanas Nausėda indicating a new rotation of about 1,000 US troops is expected. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas specified that two US Army battalions, including a heavy battalion with Abrams tanks and an engineering battalion, will arrive in late October for a nine-month deployment. This continuous rotational deployment has been in place since 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Lithuania prepared to host up to 1,500 US troops. NATO has recently experienced over 60 incidents involving drones or missiles entering its airspace, leading to calls for increased deterrence.
