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Lithuania preparing evacuation plans in case of war

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Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite.
Illustrative purposes only: Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite during a press conference after Poland and the Baltic states interior ministers meeting in Warsaw, Poland on Aug. 28, 2023. (Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Lithuanian authorities are drawing up plans for mass evacuations of civilians in case of an armed conflict, the LRT public broadcaster reported on July 25, citing the country's Interior Ministry.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine exacerbated fears of a potential open conflict between Moscow and NATO.

Bordering Russia's ally Belarus and the heavily armed Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, Lithuania would be one of the first countries threatened by such a clash.

The Lithuanian Interior Ministry said last month that it wants municipalities to be able to relocate a quarter of the country's population of 2.9 million, LRT writes.

Priority would be given to families with young children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite also said the plans would include international transfers and that the matter has already been discussed with neighboring countries. The minister also added she intends to discuss the matter with the Klaipeda Port Authority.

In light of Russia's war against Ukraine, civil preparedness measures have been under review also in Latvia and Estonia.

Lithuania to provide Ukraine with energy equipment worth nearly $55 million
The humanitarian aid includes more than 300 pieces of equipment, including equipment from the Vilnius Combined Heat and Power Plant, or the Vilnius Power Plant-3, according to the ministry.
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Martin Fornusek

Senior News Editor

Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.

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