Russian troops from Kaliningrad are already fighting in Ukraine – Lithuanian defence minister

Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas believes that the relocation of Russian troops from Kaliningrad Oblast, located on the Baltic country's border, exemplifies a clear link between the war in Ukraine and Lithuania’s security.

As reported by Ukrinform, Kasčiūnas said at the 10th Kyiv Security Forum for Youth that Lithuania considers the Suwałki Gap "a very sensitive spot" near the country. Now, analysing the presence of Russian troops in Kaliningrad, the country sees that it is empty.

"Why? Because many troops of the Russian army from Kaliningrad now are deployed in the fight against Ukraine. In the fight against Ukrainians in the Kursk region," he explained.

Kasčiūnas stressed that the transfer of troops from Kaliningrad is a connection between the struggle of Ukraine and the security of Lithuania.

"I called this process two months before the demilitarisation of the Kaliningrad region. So it is in direct dependance with your fight, which breaks the Russian military machine, pushes Russia back from all different and difficult possible scenarios which Russia could try to create for us, for all NATO. So this is evidence how your fight is helping us…," the minister concluded. 

The Suwałki Gap is a geographical corridor that links Lithuania and Poland. To the south is Belarus, while to the north is the Russian Federation's Kaliningrad area.

In October 2023, Pavel Muraveyko, First Deputy Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council, advocated "breaking through the corridor" to the Russian Federation's Kaliningrad Oblast, inciting outrage in Lithuania.

In March 2024, self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko contemplated a possible invasion of the Suwałki Gap.

In a recent large-scale analysis, the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT discovered that Russian Federation units stationed in the Kaliningrad region could be involved in preparing sabotage activities in the Baltic states and Poland.