The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has unveiled a new multi-layered defensive line to enhance national security, aiming to delay or halt adversarial forces from entering its borders. Lithuania shares a border with Russia, called Kaliningrad Oblast, and a longer frontier with Belarus that stretches about 679 kilometers.
“Lithuania is shifting from individual counter-mobility measures to a unified three-echelon defense line, giving greater depth, stronger control and full NATO/EU integration at our frontier,” the ministry said on social media.
According to the ministry, the 50-kilometer-long defense line will include anti-tank obstacles, drainage ditches and minefields.
Regional Defense Strategy
The first level, spanning 5 kilometers, will feature anti-tank ditches and obstacles at the Baltic nation’s border control point. The second tier will consist of a 15-kilometer stretch with drainage ditches, engineer equipment parks and bridges prepared for demolition.
The final defense line will incorporate roadside trees that can be felled to obstruct the movement of opposing forces and vehicles.
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The new defense strategy builds on Lithuania’s earlier actions in 2025. In March, the country joined a coalition of European nations in withdrawing from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.
At the time, National Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene emphasized that “common regional decisions send a clear message: countries bordering Russia are prepared to use everything possible to protect their citizens.”