Lithuania to prepare nationwide evacuation plan due to threat from Russia

Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė has announced that a nationwide mass evacuation plan will be developed by early October.

As reported by Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, Bilotaitė believes that her country should now have a nationwide evacuation plan and be ready to implement it.

"Each local authority has its own evacuation plan, but obviously, we must have a plan of a national scale and be ready to implement it," she said.

The minister emphasised that the security of the population has become a priority due to cyberattacks and that civilian protection is now more important than ever.

"The war against Ukraine rages on, the countries of our region are subject to hybrid and disinformation attacks, and sabotage is our new reality. It is important to note that we are at the forefront, so today, civilian protection has become a priority," the official explained.

She emphasised that strengthening civil protection at the national level alone is insufficient, leading to a decision to collaborate with other Baltic states. Additionally, the countries plan to seek funding from the European Union.

"We need to coordinate our efforts at the regional and European level. It is costly, but it is important to combine our capabilities and get support from the EU. We are calling for a risk assessment to better understand the threats and strengthen public protection measures," the minister said.

In June, the German government developed a new contingency plan in the event of war amid the threat from Russia.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis reportedly criticised NATO allies, stating that their inaction had allowed Russian drones to fall unimpeded on the Alliance's territory.