Lithuania sets up 'dragon teeth' barriers at borders with Belarus, Russia's Kaliningrad exclave
The Lithuanian military has installed obstacles to strengthen security at unused roads at border checkpoints with Russia and Belarus, LRT broadcaster reported on Aug. 30.
The so-called "dragon teeth" — pyramid-shaped concrete anti-tank obstacles — were set up as part of the Baltic Defense Line, a planned string of defenses along the Baltic countries' borders with Russia and Belarus.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, three NATO members sharing borders with Russia and its ally Belarus, have increasingly raised alarm over the Russian threat since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"The installed barriers are only part of a large, integrated picture," Lithuanian military chief Raimundas Vaiksnoras said.
"We are starting from the tactical level — specific obstacles on the border — and later we will combine the entire engineering plan into one conceptual system."
New obstacles have already been installed at the unused Sumskas, Lavoriskes, Raigardas, and Latezeris border crossings with Belarus, as well as at the Romaniskes border checkpoint with Russia's heavily fortified Kaliningrad exclave and other areas.
The Lithuanian military aims to limit the usage of unused roads as part of long-term plans to reduce the threat of ground-based invasion.
Past years saw Lithuania ramp up security measures amid fears of a possible conflict between NATO and Russia. These steps included blocking and fortifying a bridge over the Nieman River linking the country with Kaliningrad.
Vilnius also recently held the Fierce Wolf 2025 military drills in response to the upcoming Zapad 2025 exercises in Belarus, expected to involve 30,000 Russian and Belarusian military personnel.
