Lithuania plans to strengthen the Suwałki Corridor due to the threat of attack from Russia and Belarus
Kyiv • UNN
Lithuania is modernising the Vilnius-Augustów road in the Suwałki Corridor for civilian and military needs. These works, planned to be completed by 2028, will improve logistics and mobility.
Lithuania plans to modernise and strengthen the second route through the Suwałki Gap – a crucial section on the border with Poland, which is considered a potential site of aggression against the European Union (EU) and NATO. This was reported by the Deputy Head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, Tomas Godliauskas, in an interview with Politico, as reported by UNN.
Details
The Suwałki Gap is a sparsely populated 100 km wide section of forested plain connecting Poland and Lithuania, bordering Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast to the west and Belarus to the east.
The Suwałki Gap is considered one of NATO's most vulnerable points, a vital land corridor connecting the Baltic states with the Alliance countries.
Currently, Lithuania, together with Poland, is taking steps to expand its military infrastructure beyond the Via Baltica, which is the main route for transferring allied reinforcements to the country, by upgrading the Vilnius-Augustów road to dual-use standards for civilian and military needs
According to Politico, the goal is to improve the flow of goods, facilitate the movement of troops, and support potential civilian evacuation in the event of war.
This is just another option for ensuring better logistics in difficult times
In addition to increasing mobility, the "Suwałki" project may also include new border security measures.
Especially in the Suwałki area, there are talks about new protection measures along the borders with Kaliningrad and Belarus
He also added that security measures go beyond the physical realm. "We are discussing how to combat GPS spoofing and jamming by Russia, which is already affecting our civilian aviation and navigation systems."
These roads are critically important for us from a security and defence perspective. They have always been part of our civil-military planning as key land routes to support allies during a crisis
It is noted that the full scope of the project includes the reconstruction of 113 kilometres of roads and the upgrading of eight bridges. Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Transport Roderikas Žiobakaс recently told Politico that the work is planned to be completed by 2028.
Recall
Lithuania plans to strengthen the border guard with Russia and Belarus by building fortifications and mining territories. The country is discussing with Poland and Finland the unification of efforts for defence.
Russia remains a long-term direct military threat to NATO and Europe. This is because Moscow has been investing in military capabilities for over a decade and deploying forces near the Alliance's borders, preparing for confrontation. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, during a joint briefing with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha.
The Defence Ministers of the Baltic countries warn that a ceasefire in Ukraine will allow Russia to rearm and redeploy troops to their borders. The countries urge NATO not to weaken the defence of the eastern flank.