Lithuania Has Evacuation Plans Amid Russian Threats, PM Says

Lithuania has developed evacuation plans in anticipation of potential threats from Russia, though the nation is prepared to defend itself, according to Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius.

Sinkevičius told BBC Newsnight that Lithuanians feel "constantly threatened" by Russia, citing instances of drones entering the country's airspace as a specific concern. He asserted that if Lithuania were attacked, "we will fight back... we will engage." However, he also indicated that plans are in place for "a variety of scenarios," including measures to evacuate elderly citizens from cities smoothly and without traffic congestion.

Lithuania, a member of NATO, shares a border with Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave. "We're thinking about a variety of scenarios, not all of them are being discussed very much publicly," Sinkevičius said. "We face concrete threats, not on a daily basis, but we're experiencing them and it's a true reality for us."

Just last week, NATO fighter pilots intercepted a drone that entered Lithuania's airspace. While the drone's origin was not definitively confirmed, Lithuania's Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas stated it approached from the direction of Belarus, a close Russian ally and neighbor to Lithuania. The UK's Defence Secretary Wes Streeting affirmed NATO's readiness to protect its territory, stating, "We stand united, around the clock, in defence of every inch of Nato territory." Moscow has not issued a comment regarding the drone incident.