Lithuanian border guards will begin using a helicopter to escort Russian trains transiting between Belarus and the Kaliningrad exclave, national broadcaster LRT reported on April 7.
Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said the move aims to tighten supervision over trains traveling to and from Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian military stronghold bordering Lithuania and Poland.
"We are now focusing on two priorities: improving the management of our national and EU external borders, and implementing the Migration and Asylum Pact," Kondratovic said.
The minister cited the region's shifting security landscape and new threats as driving factors behind the change. "Border guards remain vigilant and reliably protect the state border, so one of our priorities is to fully provide the service and employees with the necessary means," he added.
The European Commission allocated 25 million euros ($27,4 million) under the Special Transit Scheme to support the effort. Lithuania's State Border Guard Service used the funds to acquire a modern helicopter, special vehicles, and surveillance equipment.
The new helicopter is equipped with video systems, cargo suspension tools, search and rescue capabilities, firefighting features, and onboard medical facilities.
The Special Transit Scheme permits Russia to move people and goods overland between Kaliningrad and mainland Russia via Lithuania. The route has become more closely scrutinized as NATO allies bolster defense measures along the alliance's eastern flank.
Lithuania borders both Belarus and Russia, including a 227-kilometer stretch along Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized exclave wedged between Lithuania and Poland.
Yuliia Taradiuk
