MILAN – Lithuania has announced that it is establishing a multi-layered defensive line composed in part of anti-tank obstacles, drainage ditches, minefields and more to fortify its borders.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense declared this week that the Baltic state has opted to create a three-level defensive border intended to delay or stop enemy movement in the event of a potential attack.
“Lithuania is shifting from individual counter-mobility measures to a unified 3-echelon defense line — giving greater depth, stronger control and full NATO/EU integration at our frontier,” the department said in a post on its X account.
In an illustration shared by the MoD, the Lithuanian border defense line is shown to measure 50 kilometers-long.
The first level, measuring five kilometers, would be located behind the country’s border control point and would consist of anti-tank ditches and obstacles, minefields, fortified points with trenches and secondary positions with trenches.
The second tier, stretching 15 kilometers, would include drainage ditches, engineer equipment parks, bridges prepared for demolition and blocked bridgeheads.
The ultimate echelon would have a similar layout but with additional roadside trees ready to be cut down, according to the picture shared. Felled trees can be useful to delay or restrict the movements of an adversary along roads, specifically in forested environments.
Lithuania shares a border with Russia, known as the Kaliningrad Oblast, which measures roughly 275 kilometers. The Baltic state shares an even longer frontier with Belarus, of approximately 679 kilometers.
The development of the border defense line comes a few weeks after an unidentified drone was reported to have entered Lithuanian airspace on July 28.
Following this, the Lithuanian military announced it would reinforce air defenses surrounding the country’s border with Belarus.
The European Union has severely condemned and sanctioned Minsk’s involvement in Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.