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Lithuania confiscates military goods from Kaliningrad-Moscow trains, gives them to Ukraine

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Lithuania confiscates military goods from Kaliningrad-Moscow trains, gives them to Ukraine
Camouflage trousers found on passenger trains travelling from Russia's Kaliningrad to Moscow on Oct. 2, 2024. (Lithuania's Customs Criminal Service)

Lithuanian customs officers discovered military uniforms and camouflage nets on passenger trains traveling from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to Moscow, the Delfi outlet reported on Oct. 5.

Kaliningrad Oblast is a small but heavily armed territory lodged between the Baltic Sea and NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

Lithuanian authorities are regulating the railway connection segment that runs through their territory and connects the exclave to Belarus and Russia.

During inspections, Lithuanian authorities intercepted four shipments of various military items loaded onto passenger trains between Sept. 27 and Oct. 2, Delfi wrote.

The shipments included five pairs of military camouflage trousers and several camouflage nets for masking weapons, which were found at the Kybartai train station near the exclave's border.

Vilnius believes that the shipments were intended for use by the Russian Armed Forces deployed in Ukraine. The items will be sent to Ukraine as military aid.

Vilnius has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war, leading to the sharp deterioration of relations with Moscow.

Another incident on the Kaliningrad-Moscow railway occurred last week. One carriage of a train that arrived at the Kena checkpoint at the Lithuanian-Belarusian borders displayed the letter Z, a symbol commonly used by Russian invasion forces in Ukraine.

Another carriage displayed an inscription calling Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, a "Russian city."

The Soviet Union annexed Lithuania along with other Baltic countries in World War II, with the nation declaring independence only in 1990.

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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